Give in to Me
by thesewallsibuilt
Summary: Castle convinces Beckett to attend the Heat Wave movie premiere with him.
1. I'm going to wear you down

_Authors Note: I got inspiration for this story from two different places. The first being a piece of fan art I saw on tumblr, and the second the song "Give in to me" from the movie Country Strong. So here is the first chapter, I think I am going to update again quite shortly. Reviews would be awesome, and I hope you enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Castle_

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: I'm going to wear you down<strong>

"But Beckett, you _have _to go!" Richard Castle pleaded with his stubborn muse. He was sitting in his usual seat right next to her desk in the middle of the precinct. Today had been a slow day, mainly consisting of Castle creepily (as Beckett would say) watching her do paperwork while occasionally pleading with her to attend the Heat Wave movie premiere that was going on that night.

Castle had been trying to convince Beckett to go for weeks, but she seemed to stand firm on her decision that she had no desire to attend. He knew she hated the attention she got from those types of parties, and though Beckett was too proud to ever admit it, he knew the paparazzi and the constant staring and compliments made her uncomfortable.

"You are Nikki Heat's inspiration! You _have _to be there for her premiere on the big screen!" Castle tried to make his best 'puppy dog face', "You only have to show up for the movie. I won't even ask you to go to the before or after party."

At this Kate's interest peeked. It didn't sound so bad when he said it like that. She could feel her resolve slowly trickling away as she continued to consider his notion. Letting out a heavily exaggerated sigh, she turned to him.

"Fine. But before you get your hopes up just know that I will only be attending the screening. You will not coax me into the before or after party." Castle was trying his best to contain himself but he was overcome with the sudden urge to jump up and do a happy dance right in the middle of the precinct. Unable to contain himself from showing some form of excitement, he settled for grabbing his favorite detective and planting a kiss on her cheek.

Beckett immediately felt her cheeks fill with blood. She couldn't believe that he had just kissed her! Sure it was on her cheek, but the spot where his lips had made contact with her skin burned with an electric fire that she only ever felt when they made contact. She had to sit on her hands to keep herself from reaching up to touch the spot where he had kissed her. She needed to get her feelings under control, but more importantly, she needed to say something before Castle got any funny ideas.

"Don't get too excited, I have one more condition." At this she watched his face fall a little. "I want you to bring me there." If she thought his smile couldn't stretch any further before, she was wrong. The writer's face was bursting with pure pleasure and she couldn't help but smile a little too.

"I'd be happy to escort you, my dear detective." If he kept this up her heart would be turned into liquid by the time the day was over. She reminded herself that she needed to keep him at a distance. "Not as a date, Castle. It's just—" she felt slightly embarrassed. "I've walked the red carpet by myself once already, and it was not an experience I want to relive, so I figure having you there would make it… easier."

Castle was elated at the amount of trust she was placing in his hands. He knew how difficult it was for her to admit that she had trouble doing something, and for her to ask him specifically to escort her down the red carpet and essentially help her get through something she wasn't comfortable with was a big deal. At that moment, Richard Castle made it his personal goal to make sure his favorite detective had the time of her life at this premiere. But before she could have a good time there, she would need something to wear.

"I'm going to head out early, I have some errands I need to run. I'll send for a limo to pick you up tonight at 8. Since I'll be at the before party, I won't be able to accompany you inside the limo, however, I promise to be at the end of the red carpet waiting to open your door and escort you down." He knew he was going to have to pull some strings to make that happen, but for her he would do anything.

She watched as Castle got up and walked out of the precinct. She slumped back into her chair as the realization of what she had just agreed to dawned on her. She had agreed to attend a movie premiere, and not only that, but Richard Castle would be escorting her. She was in serious need for someone to talk to, and she knew just the person.

"Hey Lanie!" She tried to sound as cheerful as possible while walking into the morgue where her best friend worked. Lanie looked up at her with a knowing smirk. She should have known the woman would see right through her.

"So, you finally caved?" Kate's grimace was all the confirmation Lanie needed. "I _knew _you would! Girl, you're going to have so much fun! What are you going to wear?"

Before this, Kate hadn't even thought about a dress. Her grimace turned into a full on scowl as the realization that she was dress-less dawned on her. "I have no idea". She muttered under her breath. She was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice Lanie approaching her.

"Don't worry, Kate! Your boy has already got that covered." Lanie winked at her. She wasn't sure whether to be horrified or relieved, so she went with a mixture of both."

"What did he do?" She tried to sound calm while her insides were going into full on panic mode. She knew that something was up just by the smile Lanie was wearing. "Okay, stop smiling at me and just tell me!" She didn't mean to snap at her friend but she was getting anxious.

"Lets just say I got a text from a certain mystery novelist about five minutes before you came down here telling me to tell you not to worry about a dress for tonight." Lanie's smile grew wider when she watched Kate's expression turn from horrified to surprised. "Kate, you are my best friend, and I would never tell you to do anything that I didn't believe wasn't right. So you listen to me when I tell you that you _need _to do something about this pent up sexual tension with writer boy tonight."

Kate knew she was in for a long night.


	2. I'm going to make you see

As always, reviews are always appreciated!

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: I'm going to make you see<strong>

Richard Castle was walking down Fifth Avenue with only one destination in mind. Although the little dress shop he and Alexis had discovered a few years back was located on the most popular street for shopping in all of Manhattan, it was surprisingly not well known. The owner of the store, Jacqueline Render, became a quick friend to him after helping him pick out the perfect dresses for all of Alexis's formal occasions. She had amazing taste, and when their creative minds worked together, the result was always spectacular.

"Jacqueline!" Rick's voice yelled over the ringing chimes that hung above the store's entrance. The woman immediately recognized his voice and came running from behind her desk to greet him. Jacqueline had to be one of the happiest, most genuine people that Castle had ever had the pleasure of knowing.

"Rick! I was beginning to worry you had found a new dress shop to go to!" She laughed, pulling him into a friendly hug. "Does the dress I gave Alexis for your movie premiere not work for her anymore?" Rick smiled at the genuine concern in the woman's voice.

"Actually, no. I am here shopping for a different woman in my life. Kate Beckett… you may have heard of her, she's the detective I've been shadowing for my Nikki Heat novels."

"Richard Castle, you are still shadowing that poor woman after 3 years? You _must _have enough material for your books by now!" Jacqueline playfully smacked his arm as if to scold him. She was younger than Castle, but she had always seemed older for her years. "No matter the reason, she must be very special for you to come here looking for a dress for her! Describe her to me."

He conjured up a mental image of his detective. He didn't even know where to begin when describing her, but he knew that Jacqueline would need a clear mental image of her if she was to help him find the perfect dress. "She is a few inches shorter then me, she has medium length wavy brown hair that somehow always manages to look perfect. She has gorgeous brown eyes that take on a green tint when she is sad, and a perfectly shaped face that honestly could have been sculpted by the best of sculptors. She has a lean body with long legs that seem to go on forever. Personality wise, she is strong, independent, and driven. She is not one to be pushed around, but secretly, I think she likes the attention that some males give her. In my opinion, she would look absolutely breath taking red dress tonight. Not floor length, but not too short, I already know other men will be coming on to her, and I don't want to give them more of a reason to."

Jacqueline was slightly taken aback by the description and Rick was looking off into the distance clearly showing that his mind was not in the room with them. Deciding to break him out of his state, Jacqueline cleared her throat and spoke.

"Well, we better get looking for the perfect dress." It was all the store owner could manage. Her heart was fluttering solely from the love her friend clearly had for this woman. She hoped that one day a man would be able to describe her with such admiration and care.

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><p>Across town, Lanie and Kate were sitting on a couch in Lanie's apartment sharing a glass of wine. Kate had clearly been nervous about her commitments that night, and Lanie figured she would help her take a little of the edge off.<p>

"So what are you wearing tonight, Lanie?" Kate didn't want to talk about Castle or anything that related to him, so mindless girl talk was the route she decided to take in this conversation.

Lanie had hoped she would ask her that. She bounced off the couch and practically ran into her bedroom. It took her less then 10 seconds to grab the dress that had been neatly laid out on her bed and bring it back into the living room where Kate was sitting. She held it against her body for Kate to inspect. The dress was black and floor length. It was tight (but classy) all the way down to her hips where it loosened and flowed out toward the ground. It was formal but not over done, and Kate knew her friend would look amazing in it.

"Lanie the dress is beautiful! You'll look gorgeous." She was happy to see that her friend was going to benefit from this premiere. She knew that as a ME, Lanie didn't get to do much (if any) dressing up, and it was a special treat for her to feel feminine and beautiful. "Espo won't be able to keep his hands off of you!"

"Well that was the plan." Lanie winked and Kate rolled her eyes. Unlike Kate, Lanie was completely comfortable with being open about her sexuality and desires, a trait that Kate both admired and envied. Over the last few years, Kate liked to think she was getting better at flirting and teasing. Castle sure seemed to react whenever she tried.

Kate looked at the clock with worry. It was now 6pm and Castle hadn't made contact with her or Lanie. She had to repeatedly tell herself to relax. She knew that he would pull through for her. Not only because she trusted him, but because he knew she wouldn't show up if she didn't have a dress… and he wanted her to show up.

Just as Kate was about to express her concern about the time, she heard a knock on the door. At that moment, she had no makeup on, and was wearing only a large NYPD t-shirt and a pair of woman's boxers. If it was Castle at the door, she did _not _want to greet him looking like this. "Lanie!" she hissed. "Can you get that?" Quickly, Kate ran into the closest room that was out of site.

"Castle! What are you doing here?" Lanie asked him, smirking knowingly.

"Delivery for Ms. Katherine Beckett!" He announced, knowing she was probably in the apartment somewhere. "Is she here?" Lanie nodded and directed him toward the room that she knew her friend was hiding in. She wasn't going to get away that easily.

"Knock, Knock!" Castle walked slowly into the room. As soon as he spotted Beckett sitting on the bed he couldn't help but smile. "I brought you your dress, and may I just say, I cannot wait to see you in it." He slowly approached her.

"Thank you, Castle… really." Despite her earlier annoyances, she _was _grateful that he had gone out of his way to buy her a dress. He had saved her from a ton of stress, and not to mention a lot of money. "You really didn't have to do this." She allowed him to sit on the bed with her figuring the act was innocent enough... at least, thats what she told herself.

"I wanted to, detective. Trust me, the pleasure was all mine." He gestured toward the box she was now holding in her hands. He was painfully aware that they were now both sitting on a bed facing each other. It took everything he had in him not to reach out and tuck the loose strand of hair hanging rebelliously over her face behind her ear. "Go on, open it!" He couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she saw it.

Slowly, Kate began to open the box in her hands. As soon as she took the top off, she could see a red and sparkly dress lying in tissue paper. She gently lifted it out as though it could break and gasped at what she saw. The dress was stunning. It was open backed and perfect in every way. She knew it would end a few inches above her knees, but didn't care. It was loose all the way down but tight at the bottom with a v-neck that was daring but classy. She hadn't even tried it on yet but she knew she would feel beautiful in it. "Wow, I don't even know if I'll be able to do it justice. Its gorgeous!"

He couldn't hold himself back any longer. Tentatively, he raised his hand to tuck that loose strand behind her ear, his fingertip tingling with sensation even with the lightest stroke of her cheek. "You'd look beautiful no matter what you wore. But as for this dress, I think the more appropriate question is whether or not it will do _you_ justice." He stated simply.

He had no doubt in his mind that she would look stunning tonight, and he could not wait for this evening's events to begin.


	3. I'm going to get to you

_I say this every time because its always true, reviews would be amazing (good or bad), I genuinely need the feedback 3_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Castle_

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: I'm going to get to you<strong>

Kate and Lanie spent the next hour fussing over each other's hair and makeup. The time seemed to pass quickly and after what seemed like no time at all, Lanie was ready to go. She was leaving an hour earlier in order to attend the before party. The women were each other's perfect counter parts. Kate's hair was curled to perfection where Lanie's was pin straight; Kate's makeup took on a smokey theme where Lanie went for a natural look. Though the women had dressed completely opposite to each other, they were both stunning nonetheless.

Kate walked Lanie and Esposito to their cab, all the while holding one for herself. She said her goodbyes and finally she was on her way back to her apartment.

Kate knew she had an hour to kill, but she had no idea what she was going to do. She mentally cursed herself for being so stubborn and refusing to go to the before party with her friends. At least then she would have had the chance to warm up to the atmosphere… now she was going to draw more attention to herself by arriving late.

She was ashamed to admit it, but Kate spent the better part of that hour staring at herself in the mirror. She truly felt beautiful, but at the same time she couldn't stop herself from worrying that Castle wouldn't like it. He had, after all, picked out her dress… what if she didn't meet his expectations? She knew she was being ridiculous, fussing over Castle like this, but the man made her feel things that she had never felt before. _Listen to yourself, Kate! You're flailing over him like a school girl with her first crush! Pull yourself together._

_Buzzz! _Kate jumped at the sound that filled her apartment. She laughed at her anxious self… she really needed to calm her nerves. "Ms Beckett, there is a limo here waiting for you." She heard her doorman through her intercom. Kate took a deep breath and headed down to the lobby.

She should have known Castle would get her a full-blown limo. It had to be the longest limo she had ever had the chance to ride in, and she'd be riding by herself! _So much for not wanting to make a scene!_ She thought to herself as she stepped inside the vehicle. She nodded at the driver to indicate that she was ready to go.

The ride was not a long one. For a Friday night in New York City, traffic wasn't too bad. Before she knew it, her limo was pulling up to the red carpet where dozens of photographers greedily waited. With every flash that went off, her heart rate spiked a little higher. She hadn't even gotten out of the limo yet and they were already taking pictures.

Finally she saw his face. He somehow emerged out of the huge crowd of photographers, how he did it without being noticed, Kate didn't care. She was just so happy to see him standing there, ready to open her door and escort her to the screening.

Even though the windows on the limo were tinted, Castle smiled at her through the glass and gave her a slight nod as though to say "I'm going to open your door now, don't freak out." Closing her eyes, Kate took a deep breath. When she exhaled and opened her lids she saw Castle smiling down at her and holding out his hand for her to take, and for a moment everything was silent and they were the only two people in the world.

The moment was over too soon. Before she knew it, she was taking his hand and he was gently lifting her out of her seat. She let go of his hand and took his arm. She gave him a smile filled with thanks and gratitude then finally turned to face the cameras.

Paparazzi was everywhere, screaming, jumping, and taking pictures. Kate smiled through her nerves and moved along the carpet on Castle's arm. She was grateful to him for not stopping for any interviews, they hardly even stopped to pose for pictures. With him there, the walk wasn't as horrid as she anticipated it would be. With him there, she felt like she could take on anything.

"See? That wasn't so bad!" Castle turned to her once they were finally off the red carpet and inside the building. "If you don't mind me saying, Katherine, stunning can't even begin to describe the way you look tonight."

Kate's heart fluttered at his use of her full name. She had never liked the name 'Katherine' but he made it sound like a lullaby, and all she wanted was to lose herself in it. She took his hand without meaning to. "You look pretty handsome yourself, Mr. Castle. Thank you for helping me through that." She nodded toward the doors that hid the paparazzi behind them.

"Anything for you." To say he was aware of her soft hand inside his would be the understatement of the year. He was forced to peel his eyes off his detective when the sound of her colleagues drifted toward his ears. Giving her hand a squeeze, he let go of her. He knew how embarrassed she would be if their friends caught them like this.

"So, Castle! Was I right, or was I right?" Kate heard Lanie say before she could actually see her. Castle turned toward her friend. "You, Lanie Parish, were _right_." He put an extra emphasis on the word 'right'. Kate stared back and forth between the two. They were both staring at each other, Lanie with a smug look on her face, and Castle with a look of gratitude and a little embarrassment.

"Am I missing something?" She asked wanting in on the joke they seemed to be sharing. Lanie broke her gaze and turned to her friend. "Oh nothing, earlier I was just telling Castle about some things he had to look forward to." She winked, and Kate's cheeks flamed red.

Esposito, Ryan, and Jenny found them then. Kate decided that moment was perfect to break away from Castle and Lanie. "Hey guys!" She said walking over to greet them. "Boys, you clean up nicely, and Jenny you look beautiful!" She gave Jenny a quick hug.

Castle chose that moment to leave their little group and mingle among his other guests. This night was, after all, partially about him and his work. Kate attempted to appear indifferent to his presence, but she constantly found her eyes slipping away from the group and wandering the room searching for the writer.

"—So do you agree? Or should I have handled it differently?" Kate had been so busy searching for Castle that she had completely zoned out and not heard a word of Jenny's story. Not wanting to offend her co-worker's fiancé, she just nodded and said, "You were completely right." She hoped that was an appropriate answer.

Kate felt a hand touch the small of her back. _Finally. _She thought and smiled. She turned around to face the man whose hand had claimed her. She was shocked, however, to find that those hands did not belong to her writer.

"Hello, My name is Preston. May I just say, you are the most stunning woman here tonight." His hand moved from the small of her back to her hip, keeping her at a closeness that she did not feel comfortable with. Not wanting to cause a scene, she just smiled and acted friendly, pretending to not notice the hand he had on her. "I'm Kate." She said attempting to step out of his grasp, but he apparently wouldn't have that.

Across the room, Castle was speaking to the movie directors. They were complaining about how long it was taking to open the doors to the theatre. Castle was having a hard time following their conversation when his mind was constantly on Beckett. Her hair, her body, her smile, her eyes, and her essence consumed his mind and made it very hard to concentrate. Finally he spotted her behind the heads of the people he was speaking to. He was annoyed to see that she was talking to another guy… a guy who had his hand on her hip. "I'm very sorry, you'll have to excuse me." He said, interrupting the director's sentence.

He pushed out of their way and slowly walked toward the detective and the man she was speaking with. He was angered to realize she was smiling and allowing him to touch her. She was here for him! Why would she talk to this man? Upon studying the two further, he began to notice subtle hints Kate was giving off that indicated her discomfort. Her hands were balled up and placed uncomfortably at her sides, but occasionally, they would come up to touch her face, or rub her arms. She did not want to talk to this man, and he would not subject her to that any longer.

Walking with purpose now, Castle strode straight up to the two and planted himself behind Beckett. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he planted a light kiss on her cheek. "There you are, honey. I was beginning to worry I had lost you!" He said loud enough for the man she was speaking with to get the message. Castle had expected Kate to turn around and smack him, but instead she leaned into him and sighed. "Babe, I was just talking to this nice man Preston. He was just talking about how _successful_ his business is!"

Castle could not believe she was playing along with him. Caught up in the moment, he decided to push his luck. He unwrapped his arms from Kate's shoulders and placed one hand around her waist. "Did you tell him your boyfriend's _successful _book inspired the film he came out to see tonight?" He felt her reach a hand up towards his shirt and begin to play with the buttons. "I was just about to." She said, making his heart race a mile per minute. Preston looked extremely uncomfortable, and Castle was struggling to contain his laughter. The man seemed to realize it was time to retreat and mumbled "I'm going to go find my friend."

As soon as he was gone, Kate unattached herself from Castle (much to both of their displeasure). "Thank you." She was staring at him like she was drowning and his eyes were a life preserver. "Wouldn't want any strange man hitting on the beautiful woman _I _escorted here."

Kate couldn't bring herself to break his gaze. They stood there, in the middle of the room staring at each other for what seemed like eternity until they were interrupted by the intercom that filled the room. "You may now find your seats in the theatre, the film will be starting in 10 minutes."

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><p><em>Authors Note: Oh god… I honestly can't tell if that was good or bad. I seemed to lose a little of my creative imagination in between chapters 2 and 3. I hope you guys liked it, and I'm glad to see so many people signing up for story alerts and making my story a favorite! You guy's rock, and some reviews (especially for this chapter) would be great.<em>


	4. You're gonna give in to me

This week has been extremely hectic; I apologize for the late chapter! I'll try my best not to let it happen again. I hope you enjoy and as always, reviews are always appreciated!

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: You're gonna give in to me<strong>

Castle had reserved special seats in the hopes that Kate would actually attend the premiere a few months in advance and now that the day had finally arrived, he couldn't be more pleased with that decision. He led his detective down the theatre aisle with his hand on the small of her back and a huge grin on his face. If he could only convince her to stay for the after party he would be a happy man.

Their seats were located 2 rows from the front. Castle sat down with Kate to his right and in that instant he realized what he would give to be able to go on an actual date with her. He pictured their perfect evening together in his mind while silently waiting for the movie to start. _I would take her for a walk down Brooklyn Bridge. _He decided, smiling at the idea. He had only ever walked the bridge once with Alexis and she loved it. Seeing the city's skyline was an event that he had never forgotten and he was sure Kate would love it if he took her there. He practically shivered when he thought about them walking hand in hand down the bridge.

"I hate to admit this, Castle, but I am actually kind of excited to see the movie." Kate's voice broke him out of his daydream. He was glad she was happy to be there. He noticed he had unconsciously positioned his right hand on its back on the armrest. He laughed at himself a little… even when he wasn't trying to pursue her he was unconsciously doing it! No matter the reason, he kept his hand there just in case.

"I'm glad you've been enjoying yourself". He turned to her now. "That being said, I am even more glad you came. It really does mean a lot." She gave him her special smile—the smile she saved only for him and his heart warmed at the sight of it. Here he was at the premiere of a movie based on _his _book with Detective Kate Beckett. He couldn't think of a luckier man in the world.

Kate pretended not to notice his upturned hand sitting patiently next to her. Her mind and her heart were having an internal battle as to whether or not she should take that hand and claim it as her own but in the end her mind won out and she kept her hands folded neatly in her lap. She was happy she was here with him. His warm presence beside her was extremely comforting and she was embarrassed to admit that when she first started reading Castle's Derrick Storm books she had always hoped they would turn into a movie. Who would have thought that her favorite author would write a new series of books based on her and _those _would be portrayed in movie form? The world worked in strange ways.

Finally, the lights dimmed and the projector was turned on. The first thing the audience saw were the bolded words "Based on the novel written by Richard Castle". It was that moment that Kate decided to take his hand. She felt oddly proud of the writer and was almost emotional to see his name on the big screen.

Castle was staring at his own name in awe when he felt a warm hand slowly creep into his. Not wanting to startle her, he continued to watch the screen as he felt her fingers intertwine with his own. Already, this was the best movie he had ever seen… and it wasn't because of Natalie Rhodes' opening lines.

The movie progressed well. The acting was fantastic and Kate couldn't help but feel a little smug that Natalie had her to thank for that. It was weird for her to watch the chemistry between Nikki and Rook on the big screen. Rook's actor, Jason Bateman, was playing Cas—Rook perfectly. Right down to his eyebrow movements and hand gestures. Kate couldn't help but wonder if Rick had given him some pointers before the film was shot.

"_Go ahead, I need the practice." _Kate laughed out loud at this line. A few dirty looks were cast her way due to the sudden disturbance but she didn't care. She felt Castle's eyes on her as she wiped the tears that were forming in her eyes from the laughter. She looked up and smiled at him. Despite his faults, his mistakes, and his playboy persona, Richard Castle was a brilliant author… and no one could take that away from him. _He's also an amazing man._ She quickly shoved that thought to the back of her brain, still highly aware that his thumb was lightly stroking the back of her hand.

Watching her laugh was almost inspiring. Castle was drinking it in and he couldn't get enough. In this moment she seemed so care free so unburdened. At this moment it was as though nothing bad had ever happened to Katherine Beckett, and her life was just as simple and normal as anyone else's. Castle was swept up in another image of the future he hoped they would have together. He thought of them laughing at a movie while lying on the couch together. Her head would be resting against his shoulder, and his arm would be around her shoulders lightly playing with her hair. It was at this moment that Richard Castle became determined. Determined to create this life for them. He knew he would do whatever it took to create this future with the woman he… the woman he loved.

The movie was more then half way through now and as the scenes progressed, Kate knew it was coming… the sex scene. She hadn't even considered the fact that she, and the rest of her colleagues would have to sit through a scene devoted to kissing and sex between Nikki and Rook… and the fact that the actors were portraying their characters so well didn't make matters any better. The scene was getting close now. In her head she was almost screaming a prayer begging the producers to have decided to cut the scene, but apparently God wasn't feeling generous today. She watched, hand in hand with Castle, as Rook slowly inched closer and closer to Nikki.

This had been the part Castle had looked the most forward to. In his head he was almost screaming a prayer of thanks to God, apparently, he had decided to grant him his wish. He watched as Rook inched closer and closer to Nikki. At the corner of his eye he saw that Kate's face had turned to stone, completely unmoving. He had to fight the urge to chuckle at her expression. He watched Nikki and Rook kiss passionately and was overcome with a feeling of longing for that type of passion with the woman beside him. He could almost feel her lips on his as he watched the actors on screen. He remembered the kiss they shared while trying to save Esposito and Ryan and it had been electric. For the second time that night, he sent a prayer up to God to be able to have another kiss like that with her.

Kate finally let go of Rick's hand to clap along with the rest of the audience. Many people stood up to clap for the film because it truly was a spectacular movie. After all the commotion and clapping ended, Castle startled Kate by getting up from his seat and walking up toward the stage. She had completely forgotten that he was supposed to give a speech at the end of the movie. He walked confidently up to the microphone and for the second time that day, Kate felt a sense of pride.

"Well how about that movie?" Castle started off his speech, and as expected the crowd erupted into another short applause. "First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for coming out tonight to see this film, I know it must have been such a chore." A rumble of laughter went through the crowd. "I'd also like to thank the directors, the screen writer, and especially the actors for doing such a wonderful job on this movie. The film exceeded my expectations, and it was exactly as I imagined Nikki and Rook's adventure would be like." He paused again for yet another short applause. "This night is about the cast and crew of this movie, but without one very special person, none of us would be here tonight. So lastly, I would like to thank my muse, my partner, and my best friend Ms. Kate Beckett." Castle met Kate's eyes and smiled his warmest smile at her while the crowd cheered. "Now, I hope to see you all at the after party, it should be a good time!" With that he walked off the stage and made his way back to his beautiful detective.

"Quite the speech, Mr. Castle. You certainly do have a way with words." Kate said smiling up at him. He loved the fact that she was still slightly shorter then him even in her impossibly high heels. "You know, its funny… I actually get that a lot!" Castle replied easily and was surprised to see that she laughed out loud at his joke. He had never seen Kate so care free and genuinely happy. "I know I promised not to pressure you into anything, so don't take this the wrong way, but you look absolutely beautiful tonight, and I would love for you to accompany me to the after party. It would be a true shame to waste such a beautiful dress on a dim theatre."

Silently, Kate weighed her options. She was having a good time tonight, and the movie had put her in good spirits. His speech had left her stunned and here he was offering his arm to her and asking her to accompany him to an after party for a movie premiere. How many women would kill for a chance like this? _Oh, what the hell. _She thought and took his arm. "Lead the way, Castle." She said, surprising him for what seemed like the millionth time that night.

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><p>Authors Note: I really hope you guys liked it! I tried my best to keep it as realistic as possible.<p> 


	5. I'm going to start a fire

Its actually kind of funny, when I first got the idea for this story, I was planning on making it a one shot! Now we're on the fifth chapter. Oops, I guess I'm a sucker for longer stories.

I am so glad everyone is enjoying it, and all the feedback, alerts, and favorites have been extremely overwhelming. Thank you so much for your support.

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle (if I did Caskett would be making their second child by now)

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: I'm going to start a fire<strong>

Immediately after entering the banquet hall, Kate felt a strong sense of regret. She couldn't believe that she had allowed Castle to coheres her into attending this but she didn't want to be rude and leave just as it was starting. She was still holding on to Castle's arm and she had to admit, as soon as she entered the room her grip on him became a little tighter.

"Castle I'm going to need drinks if I'm going to survive this night." She grimaced at his excited expression. She wanted to let loose a little but she didn't want to do anything she would regret. _I'll just have a few drinks so I can get a slight buzz. _It was decided, no "cops gone wild" for Kate that night… much to Castle's disappointment.

"Coming right up, my lady." Castle whispered seductively in her ear. She had to bite back the shiver that ran up her spine as his face maintained it's close proximity to the nape of her neck for a moment longer than necessary. Kate's neck had always been a weakness of hers and he seemed to know just the right buttons to push.

Castle left Kate then to get some drinks. He tried to keep a low profile as he walked up to the bar. Women tended to get a little too touchy-feely at these types of events… more then even _he _was comfortable with. Sure, he didn't mind signing a few autographs, he didn't even mind when those autographs were being signed in suggestive places on a woman's body; but when they began rubbing his back and pinching his behind—that's when he started getting a little creeped out.

"I'll get two manhattans please." He ordered from the bartender. A Manhattan seemed like a suitable drink to start off the night—plus the image of Kate holding a martini glass in that red dress was too sexy to pass up. Castle grabbed their drinks and started to head back to his detective. As she came into his line of vision, he noticed that for the second (and surely not the last) time that night; Kate was speaking with another man. Castle had no doubt in his mind that the man had approached _her_.

"—And then I said no, I won't take 1 million! If you raise you're offer to 2 million then _maybe _I'll think about it." The man started laughing and Kate tried to hide her grimace. The man's laugh sounded like a duck with a throat ache quacking because it sensed danger. In other words, it was definitely not an attractive attribute. Kate tuned out the man's story while her eyes scanned the room for Castle. At the same time, she attempted to nod and smile at appropriate times. "Anyway, my name is Roger. How about yourself?" Kate attempted to give him a warm smile as she answered, "I'm Ka—" Suddenly Castle appeared in front of her.

"Kate! I've been searching everywhere for you, but then I just thought to myself 'Rick, look for a place in the room where all the single guys happen to be hanging out", and sure enough here you are!'" Rick smiled menacingly at Roger. The smile was so intimidating that she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the man. Before she could apologize for Castle's behavior, Roger awkwardly excused himself from the conversation.

"Its true, you know". Castle said, confusing Kate. "What's true?" She replied not catching on to what he was referring to. "Everywhere you wander all of the single men seem to gravitate toward you. You have no idea the effect you have on men do you?" Castle was smiling down at her almost… sadly? He was confusing her more and more with every word he said.

"It's a party, Castle. All women are hit on at parties; it's like an unofficial rule. I'm not the only target." He was now looking at her like she was completely insane. If he continued to stare at her with this intensity she was going to start feeling a little self-conscious. "Kate, how many times do I have to tell you that you are quite literally the most stunning woman in this room? You practically glow." She blushed a little at this comment. He seemed to be laying the compliments on thick that night.

"Do you think you'll get lucky if you keep it up with the compliments?" She asked, attempting to lighten the mood, however, she didn't really like how the words came out. He really was staring at her now. His mouth opened as if he was about to say something, then thought better of it and it closed again. "I'm only speaking the truth." How could such a small statement from this man make her entire body tingle? _This is going to be a long night. _Kate thought as she downed her drink.

This time, the pair thought it would be better to go to the bar together… in order to avoid any more men who decided to target Kate. After drinking her fourth Manhattan of the night, Kate was starting to feel the alcohol dimming her senses. "Do you want to dance?" She said completely on a whim. She hadn't even thought her words through before they had escaped her lips and once they were out in the open, boy did she regret them. She wanted to hit her head on something and yell "stupid Kate" over and over again.

Castle was both surprised and delighted at the fact that Kate had asked _him _to dance with her. He had expected the night to involve some dancing, but he had assumed he would have to all but drag her out onto the dance floor. "Wow, I should get you drunk more often!" He knew it would push her buttons, and that she might get a little angry at the comment but he couldn't help himself.

"I am not drunk!" Kate was appalled. But when she brought up her hand to grab his ear she found herself getting slightly dizzy. _Uh oh… am I drunk? How much alcohol is in a Manhattan anyway?_ _Oh what the hell, if I'm drunk at least I have an excuse for this! _Kate grabbed his arm and led him out to the dance floor where about 70 people were already dancing. Kate had always been a good dancer. She had always known how to swing her hips just right and how to move her legs appropriately with the beat of the music. Back in her high school years she could drive the boys crazy just by dancing in her own seductive manner. She had decided a long time ago that dance skills were a lucky trait that she had inherited, and that whenever she was on the dance floor she would not hold back. Castle was in for a treat.

Castle made a show out of being dragged onto the dance floor by Kate, but as soon as they made it, it was clear who was in charge. Kate immediately began swaying her to the beat and it was driving Castle insane. Something he admired most about her dance skills was the fact that not only was she not afraid to flaunt them, but she didn't over-do them. Women were all around them grinding up against their male partners in ways that made them look extremely trashy, but not his Kate. Sure she was dancing seductively, but it was classy—elegant even. She was close to him, but not close enough that every slight movement she made would be felt against him.

Kate loved the feeling she got when she was in control of her dance partner. She knew Castle was completely powerless against her movements, and she had to admit, he was a pretty good dancer himself. He responded just right to her and never tried to touch her in ways that were inappropriate. He was a true gentleman, and she lo—liked that a lot. Just as she was about to really get into their dance, the DJ took hold of the microphone. "Now, ladies and gents… I'd like you all to grab that special someone, and if you're not already on the dance floor head out now."

Kate awkwardly looked up at Rick just as he awkwardly looked down at her. Both were unsure of what they should do. Castle decided to take the lead… after all, it was now or never and he _really _wanted the chance to slow dance with Kate Beckett. He placed one hand on the small of her back and the other took hold of her hand. She felt so good in his arms that it took all of his will power not to press a kiss on the top of her head. As much as he wanted to be intimate with Kate, he had to maintain a slow pace or else she would run from him. Rick smiled into her hair when he recognized the song… it was oddly perfect.

_I can be your hero, baby _

_I can kiss away the pain._

_I will __**stand by you**__ forever,_

_You can take my breath away._

Kate leaned her head into the nape of his neck, softly singing along with the chorus of the song. It was weird how perfect the song was for them… almost as though it had been written with them in mind. She had never cared for the idea of needing a man in her life to be "her hero", but as she listened to the lyrics of the song she realized that it wouldn't be so bad. She wouldn't mind having a constant in her life. A shoulder always available to cry on, or lean on, a hand always there to help her back up, or pull her out of her darkest places. Even just having someone to fall asleep with every night.

_Would you swear that you'll always be mine?_

_Would you lie? Would you run and hide?_

_Am I in too deep? Have I lost my mind?_

_I don't care, you're here tonight._

Castle wished he could be there for Kate like the man in this song was there for the woman he loved. He wished more then anything that she would just let him in. If she gave him the chance he knew that he could prove to her how amazing their lives could be together. Right now, holding her in his arms, he realized that there was no one else he ever wanted to hold this way again. Kate Beckett truly was the love of his life.

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><p>Ok I was very tired when writing this chapter, so I hope you liked it! I was a little worried it got a little rambly toward the middle and then toward the end again. Anyway, I'd just like to say again that everyone's support for this story has been amazing and I thank you.<p> 


	6. You're going to feel the heat

Authors Note: I'm really happy with the way this story is turning out. Honestly, its taken quite a bit of self control to allow Castle and Beckett to continue their "dance" instead of just throwing themselves at each other already!

I actually haven't quite planned out what I want to happen in this chapter yet, so I guess we'll see where it takes me? I'm so happy that everyone is enjoying the story so far.

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: You're going to feel the heat<strong>

Castle had (regretfully) left Kate in the hands of Lanie. As much as he wanted to dance with her all night and never leave her side, he had obligations to his fans. The party planners had done something different with this party. The main banquet hall was open to invite-only guests (i.e. actors, friends of actors, supporters, Castle, Castle's inspiration, and people who were solely invited for their fame and the attention it brought). The other room was open to fans. Of course, not all fans were allowed in, just ones who either had a lot of money or were extremely fortunate to win access passes, but fans nonetheless.

Natalie Rhodes, Jason Bateman, and Richard Castle were each given an hour each to sign autographs, and talk to their fans. This was something that normally, Castle wouldn't have a problem doing, however, knowing that Kate was in the other room waiting for him made it feel like an obligation.

"Kate have you seen the way the man was staring at you? He is totally in love!" Lanie all but screamed at Kate. She had been trying to convince her that Castle loved her for the past half hour, but for some reason she just wasn't buying it. "Think about it for a second. He sticks around to shadow you for three years, and only leaves when you get yourself a boyfriend… and even then he came back! He can't stay away from you." Kate just shook her head and bit back a smile. "When you were shot he didn't leave the hospital until you woke up! It took you two full days to wake up, girl!"

"Lanie, he doesn't love me. Sure, he may be attracted to me, but at the end of the day that's all he feels for me… _attraction. _Just like any of those other girls he all but drools over." Kate was standing firm to her point. She refused to give in to Lanie's argument because she knew that by giving in to this argument she would be essentially taking down another wall inside her. That was something she wasn't sure she was ready for. "And as for my shooting, he only stayed around because he is my _partner." _She was desperately trying to make Lanie see her side of things.

"If Castle felt even half the amount of _attraction _for those other girls that he does for you, he'd probably be married by now! Kate, you need to open your eyes and see the man that's in front of you because as much as he loves you, he won't wait around forever." She paused, her tone growing serious now. "This arrangement you two have is painful for him, and I don't understand how you can't see that. It's hard for him to not express his feelings for you, but that just proves how much he loves you! He is willing to put his own feelings aside because he knows you may not be ready for that kind of commitment."

Kate was left to ponder that now. She knew she had strong feelings for Castle… but was she really ready for that kind of commitment? _You're just worried he's your "one and done". _God, she had to stop thinking of things like that. At the end of the day, Castle was a playboy. If she gave herself over to him, he would hurt her. He would eventually get bored of her, or angry at her stubborn personality. "I don't know, Lanie. I'm just really conflicted right now. Can we please change the subject?" She begged her friend. It had felt so right earlier to be in his arms, swaying to the most perfect song. But now that she was back in reality, she had no idea what she wanted.

Castle was doing his best to keep a smile plastered on his face, and respond as charming and intelligently as he could but he was finding that task extremely difficult. He couldn't keep his mind off of his partner's long legs and stunning figure. She looked beautiful as a whole, but he _was _after all a man and… wow, her body was amazing.

It was crazy the change she had awoken within him. Usually he would be checking out the attractive women that were pining for him, even on occasion take one of their numbers, but tonight he couldn't bring himself to be interested in any of them. Whenever he looked at them he would see his beautiful detective in his mind standing next to them and there would be no comparison. He checked his watch to see that his hour was finally up. He had to stop himself from doing a little happy dance in the middle of the room full of fans. Castle cleared his throat.

"You all have been amazing, but unfortunately my hour is up and I have to get back to the other party! Given the choice I would stay here with all of you but rules are rules." He pouted along with the rest of his fans who were moaning and calling out for him to stay. "I am so happy you all came out, and I thank you for being such loyal fans!" With that, Castle exited the room.

As soon as he re-entered the other party, his eyes scanned the room until he found his detective. He had honestly thought he wouldn't survive the hour without her, and was extremely disappointed that it was now midnight and the party would soon be coming to an end.

He spotted Lanie first among the crowd of people and saw that Kate was still standing with her. He immediately headed her way. He couldn't reach her fast enough and before he knew it he was standing behind her, wrapping his arms around her slim figure. He lowered his lips down to her ear and whispered, "Would you shoot me if I told you I missed you?"

Kate felt her entire body heat up as the writer whispered in her ear. She felt herself slowly sinking into the warmth of his body behind her. She laughed at his words and leaned her head against his so that they were cheek to cheek. "That depends, writer boy. What exactly did you miss?" She couldn't believe the manner in which she was speaking to him. Especially in front of Lanie who was just standing in front of the two with her mouth hanging dumbly open. She laughed at her best friend who all but stumbled away from the couple while mumbling something about finding Esposito.

Castle, however, was paying no attention to Lanie. He loosened his hold on Kate only so he could spin her around to face him, all the while never taking his hands off her arms. He breathed in deeply, taking all of her in. He had never seen someone so beautiful in his life. "I missed your laugh, your smile, your eyes, your hair. I _especially _missed your sexy little body and the way it looks in that dress." He paused for a moment to eye her up and down. She _was _very sexy. "I missed your voice, your wit, and your humor. But most of all I missed _you, _detective.

Kate was struggling for air—had the staff turned the heat way up in the room? She must have looked like an idiot just standing there watching him, but she had absolutely no idea what she wanted to say to that so she just stood there.

Thankfully, her voice finally found her. "I guess you won't be shot tonight, Castle. But only because I need a ride home." She winked (winked!) at him and laughed at his stunned expression. It was probably the same one she had been wearing just moments ago. She decided to save him the trouble of thinking of a response.

"Speaking of home, I'm on call tomorrow, and I want to get a decent night's rest just in case a body drops. So would you mind if we left in about fifteen minutes?" She was internally kicking herself for being so dumb as to rely on him as her only ride home. She didn't want to be the reason for him leaving his own movie premiere, but she really did need to get a good night's rest that night.

"Not a problem. I was actually planning on leaving soon anyway, so don't feel bad." He added that end part for her benefit. He knew she was mad at herself for asking him the favor of leaving early. He never wanted her to feel bad about asking him for something. He would give her the world if she asked. He was about to express his thoughts out loud, but decided not to. He didn't want to scare her away while they were getting along so well.

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><p>Ok, so I am aware I ended this chapter sort of abruptly, however, the next chapter will make up for it, I promise. This was sort of a filler chapter, because for what I have in mind for the story it wouldn't have made sense to write the next chapter as this chapter… god, I hope that makes sense!<p>

Anyway, I hope you are enjoying the story, and I will have the next chapter up ASAP, I promise.


	7. I'm going to burn for you

Ok, this is the chapter I've been excited to write. I hope I do it justice!

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle.

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: I'm going to burn for you<strong>

Kate and Castle decided that they would stay at the party for half an hour longer. It seemed like an appropriate amount of time to allow Castle to say goodbye to everyone, as well as not make it seem like they were heading home early.

Just when Kate was about to deem this night as "perfect", Paula, Castle's agent, decided to make an appearance. "Richard Castle leaving a party early… never thought I'd see the day!" She laughed mockingly at the writer in a way that made her stomach turn. Paula, who had been pretending Kate was invisible, made a show of acknowledging her as though she had just made an appearance. "Ah, you're leaving with a woman! Now I understand the eagerness." If Kate had thought the woman's tone sounded vicious before, it was nothing compared to how it sounded now.

"Paula, you know very well that this _woman _is Kate Beckett so you can drop the act. I am simply providing her with a ride home." Kate's heart warmed a little at Castle jumping to her defense. She had never met this woman before, but from what she had witnessed thus far, she did not anticipate them becoming friends. Whether Kate liked this woman or not, however, she did not like anyone making assumptions about her intentions… especially when those assumptions involved Richard Castle.

"Castle all but forced me out here tonight, and he insisted on providing me with a ride to and from the premiere. I need to get home at a decent hour because starting at midnight which, may I add, has already passed, I am on call. That means if a body is discovered this morning, I will be the investigating officer and I prefer to have a decent amount of sleep before I try to solve murders." Kate felt a little pathetic for feeling the need to explain herself to this woman but she felt the urge to do it nonetheless.

Paula smirked at Kate's explanation. "That's a nice story." She said venomously before going back to pretending the detective didn't exist. "Rick, can I speak with you _alone _for a moment?" She asked with false sweetness. Rick would have given anything to somehow get himself out of this situation and away from his agent but it seemed like Paula wasn't going to have that. So, forming a smile on his face to match the one his agent was wearing he said, "Anything for you, Paula. Kate, will you excuse us for a moment?"

Kate nodded, deciding to take this opportunity to get herself another drink. She knew it was a little insensible to be getting a drink so close to her departure but after what she had just experienced she figured she deserved one. She ordered a rum and coke and after taking her first sip she realized that the bartender had gotten a little rum-happy. It tasted more like pure rum then it did like coke but Kate continued to sip on it anyway. She could feel her senses dimming further as she began to feel a lot more relaxed then she had at the beginning of the party.

Castle was all but glaring at his agent. Who did she think she was barging in on his and Kate's conversation like that? She really had some nerve conducting herself in that way around Kate. "Paula, what the _hell _is your problem?" He almost spit the words out at her. He was furious with the way she had dealt with the detective. She could have at least pretended she had some decency.

"You're leaving at 12:30 from _your _movie premiere? Are you crazy? Do you know what the press will say? I can read the headlines now 'Castle unhappy with his big screen premiere?' or even better, 'Richard Castle, no longer millionaire playboy but taken boyfriend.' Is that what you want, Rick? Your image is very important to the sales of Nikki Heat!"

He was getting angrier and angrier at each word she said. Since when had writing books become about image? "People will buy my books no matter who I'm with and you know that." Internally, he began to question whether he was more angry at Paula for insulting his books or insulting Kate. He knew that it would make more sense for him to be angry with her for taking a stab at his writing skills, however, he found himself more upset at the way she conducted herself around Kate. "Paula, this conversation is over. I am going home now and I will be escorting Kate out. If you really have a problem with that then I know you will find a way to keep me out of the press." With that, he nodded at her and headed in the direction that Kate had taken earlier.

He found her at the bar taking her last sip of a rum and coke. "Are you ready to go?" He asked her, a little amused by the way she was smiling at him. She clearly had a little too much alcohol that night but somehow she managed to continue keeping up her classy persona. The woman amazed him more and more with everything she did.

"Lead the way, Mr. Castle." Kate could feel her head swimming and her body was tingling yet it felt numb at the same time. She literally had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing at that sentiment. She did not want Castle to become aware of her drunken state. She followed him through the room of famous people with her arm tucked warmly into his, all the while sneaking glances up in his direction. He really was handsome.

Castle could feel Kate slightly leaning against him as they walked. He could tell she was using him as physical support to keep from walking unsteadily but he wasn't about to complain. Right before they reached the doors that exited the building, he stopped her. "Kate, there is going to be press outside. I just received confirmation that our limo is just outside the doors, and that is sure to have alerted the paparazzi. I just wanted to give you a little warning before we left." She nodded at him, her face hardening. He admired the determined expression she wore on her face.

Castle led her through the doors and into a swarm of paparazzi. Unlike the red carpet, there were no barriers or lines that they were not aloud to cross so as they walked through the sea of photographers and people with microphones, she felt overwhelmed with claustrophobia. Thankfully, the limo was parked close to the exit and they only had to walk through the swarm of people for a short amount of time. She all but jumped into the back of the limo along with the writer and practically slammed the vehicle's door behind them.

"That is absolutely insane! How do you do it?" She asked him genuinely. She didn't think she would be able to handle a constant crowd of cameras and reporters following every move she made.

"You get used to the interviews, but you never get over the lack of privacy." He answered honestly. He hated not being able to leave his apartment without _someone _asking him to take a picture. Sure, he was no Brad Pitt, he didn't have a constant swarm of paparazzi around him at all times, but that didn't mean he didn't get his fair share. Looking down at Kate, who was sitting beside him at the back of their stretch limo, he became painfully aware of the situation they were both in. Alone… in a dark vehicle… sitting awfully close to each other.

Kate couldn't help but inch herself closer to her partner. His body was like a magnate calling for her to bring herself to him. It was proving very difficult for her not to reach out and take his hand into her own. Just the idea of that simple gesture sent shivers down her spine. "I'm glad you forced me to come tonight, Rick." She said in order to break the silence that was hanging in the limo.

"_Forced _you to come? I did no such thing—I charmed you with my vast arsenal of rapier wit." He said raising his eyebrows at her. He knew she would understand the reference he was making to a previous conversation that they had had earlier in the year. His entire body warmed at the smile she gave him in return.

It was then that she noticed a piece of fluff resting on the collar of his shirt. Her father used to tease her about having OCD because it really bothered her when little things like fluff on people's shirts were there. Hesitantly, her hand reached up across his body in order to remove the fluff from the far side of his collar. Immediately, she realized the mistake she had just made. She was now sitting so close to him that their legs were touching and the arm that was resting across him had forced her to turn her entire body toward his. Gently, she lifted the fluff and flicked it away. After the task was completed, however, she could not bring herself to remove her hand from his collar. "Rick, I just wanted to—I just wanted to say—" She couldn't hold herself back any longer. In a speed that surprised even herself, Kate Beckett leaned into Castle until their lips touched.

Castle froze as soon as he felt her lips touching his. The kiss was hesitant and completely surprising yet somehow he had never felt such an urgency to kiss a woman in his life. Just before he could force his lips to move against hers she pulled away. She was still mere inches away from his face when she started to speak.

"Castle I'm sorry I—" She was not able to finish her sentence because before the words could leave her mouth, Castle was kissing her again. His arm snaked around her back as he moved his lips expertly against her own. She couldn't help but allow a moan to escape. The kiss was electric and passionate. She pushed her tongue against his and deepened the kiss further. She had never felt such drive while kissing a man. She felt Rick's hands grab for her leg and pull it up onto his lap so that she was half straddling him. His hand continued up the side of her leg but stopped just before the dress was lifted too far. Just the feeling of his hand so high on her leg made her want to kiss the man with more passion then she already was—if that was possible.

Rick could not believe the situation he was now in. He had imagined what it would be like to kiss Kate over a million times in his head (not including undercover kisses), but not even his wildest imagination had prepared him for this. Their tongues were battling each other for control, but it only made the kiss more fiery. Too soon, the kiss was over and the couple was breaking apart from each other for air. Kate and Rick just stared at each other in amazement as they breathed heavily.

For once in her life, Kate was at a loss for words. "I'm—that was—I don't—wow." There were no words to describe the kiss they had just shared. She wanted to grab him and resume where they had left off when all of a sudden the limo came to a halt. Kate ripped her eyes from her writer only to find that they were sitting in front of her apartment. She—regretfully—untangled herself from Rick. She gave him a smile that conveyed a mixture of bliss and sadness.

"Thank you for the ride home, Rick… I'll see you later, okay?" She said, not knowing how to properly say goodbye. Castle, however, had a different idea of how to separate. He grabbed her head and pulled it back toward his until their lips met once more. The kiss he placed on her was soft, sweet, and full of longing. It lasted mere seconds until he broke apart from her leaving her, once again, at a loss for words.

"Until tomorrow, Katherine." He said her name like it was the most beautiful word in the world. She loved the way it sounded coming off his tongue and oh, how she wanted to taste that tongue against hers again. She got out of the limo slowly and closed the door behind her. As soon as she was within the safety of her apartment her hand reached up to touch her lips. They were still tingling from the kiss.

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><p>Longest chapter yet! What did you guys think?<p> 


	8. You're going to melt for me

The response to this story has been absolutely incredible. Thank you all, and I'm so glad you are enjoying it!

I noticed that a lot of you commented on the realistic sense you are getting from this story, and that really meant a lot to me. I've been trying to keep the story as in-character as possible, and it has been extremely hard for me. I have literally sat and stared at a sentence for as long as 10 minutes to make sure it sounded like something Beckett would say/do.

Anyway, thank you so much for all of your support, and enjoy the new chapter!

Disclaimer: I do now own Castle

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: You're going to melt for me<strong>

Kate got ready for bed in slow motion. Her entire body refused to react to simple commands like "walk" or "breathe". She moved around her apartment like a zombie just waking up from the dead. After what seemed like hours, Kate finally had her pajamas on and was about to get into her bed when all of a sudden her phone started ringing.

"Beckett." She said praying to God with all of her might that no bodies had dropped. Kate smiled and sighed in relief when she heard Lanie's voice on the other end. "So I just left the party with Javi and he mentioned something that _you_ failed to while we were having our little chat earlier." Lanie sounded stern and a little angry on the other line. _Uh oh… maybe a murder would have been the better call after all._

"What did Esposito tell you?" Had he seen her and Castle in the limo? How could he have seen them the limo had _tinted windows _for God's sake! There was no way he could have found out… right? "Apparently, he spotted you and writer boy holding hands during the movie!" She said this as though it were the biggest step in her and Castle's relationship that they had ever taken. _Boy did she have a lot to learn._

"Ya, I guess he was right about that. Castle was holding my hand during the movie. Is there anything else you wanted to talk about because I'm really tired and I want to go to sleep." Kate knew she was being rude, but she was still so keyed up from the kiss she had experienced only half an hour before to function properly. She just wanted to succumb to an unconscious state so that her brain would no longer be able to rationalize what had happened.

"Oh no, girl, you are _not _getting off that easy. Why were you two holding hands? Does that happen a lot?" Kate was getting tired of Lanie's constant questioning, but then she had a thought. It might be _nice_ to talk to someone about her feelings for Castle rather then keep them bottled up inside of her. "We do not hold hands a lot, no, but that wasn't the only thing that happened tonight, Lanie." Now that the words were out of her mouth she knew there was no backing out. "I kissed him." It was actually bizarre to hear herself admit it out loud.

On the other end, Kate heard a loud crash then quick scrambling until Lanie's voice was screaming through the receiver. "Sorry, I dropped the phone but that's not important right now. You kissed Castle? As in Richard Castle? As in Richard Castle the writer who has been shadowing you for the past 3 years?" Kate felt as though a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Telling Lanie had definitely been a good idea.

"No, I kissed the other Castle." She said, earning herself an annoyed snarl from Lanie. "Before I go any further, you cannot tell anyone about this. Especially Esposito." She shuttered to think of what would happen if the boys at the precinct found out about this. Kate could almost hear Lanie's eyes rolling on the other side. "Of course I won't tell him. That man can't keep a secret to save his life, especially a secret like this. You have to tell me everything. Was he amazing? Did you see stars? What did he say to you after?"

All the questions she was asking were making Kate's head spin. "I know how cheesy this sounds, but I think I will forever consider that as my first kiss because honestly, I have _never _been kissed like that before in my life. I knew he had a playboy image for a reason but wow. I guess that's why he was able to keep it up for so long… the man knows how to kiss." She was embarrassed that she let a sigh escape her lips that was loud enough for Lanie to hear through the phone.

"Kate, you have to believe me now. The kiss wasn't amazing because he is a great kisser… well that may have been part of it, but only a small part. The real reason was because you are both so in love with each other. Now that you have finally seen how perfect the two of you can be together, how can you deny him any longer? You are my best friend, and I am telling you that most people waste their whole lives dreaming of the kind of love that you could have with that man. He is your _soul mate, _Kate, and I cannot let you let him pass you by." Kate was overwhelmed with emotion from Lanie's words. She suddenly felt very tired.

"Thank you, Lanie. I honestly don't know what I am going to do yet, but I do know that I am lucky to have a friend like you." She paused for a second, debating on whether or not she wanted to continue her train of thought. "I am not a person who is able to build up a relationship with someone. When I give myself to a man, I give my _whole _self to him. That's why my past relationships have never worked. Josh, Demming, even Will didn't stick around because even though we were together, they never really _had_ me. I am just so afraid that if I give myself to Castle he will leave me." She paused for a moment to catch her breath. She physically felt dizzy at the thought of him leaving. "If he left, Lanie, I—I don't know if I'd survive it."

Lanie was silent on the other line for a few moments. "I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I think you've already given yourself to Castle. Even the thought of him leaving you has made you're breathing so heavy that I can hear it over the phone. If you want my advice, and I think you do, I say you go for it. Go for it with everything you have. I'm going to sleep now, but I really hope you take my advice. Goodnight, Kate. Promise me you'll be honest with yourself from now on."

"Promise." Kate smiled and hung up. She knew what she had to do tomorrow. It scared the hell out of her, but she was going to give her and Rick a shot. Tomorrow, she would invite him over, offer him a glass of wine, and express her feelings to him. She did not want to lose a chance at the most real thing she had ever had in her life.

Kate slipped into bed and fell asleep before her head hit the pillow.

Kate was startled awake by the sound of her cell phone blaring through her room. She quickly checked the time before answering her call. The clock read 11:30… how the hell had she allowed herself to sleep in until _11:30? _Kate rolled across her bed to reach for her phone.

"Beckett". She answered in her usual tone. She was disappointed to hear the sound of Captain Gates on the other end informing her that a body had dropped near Park Avenue. Since she had made a promise to be honest with herself last night, she figured there was no sense in lying to the voice in her head that was asking her "Were you disappointed because it wasn't Castle's voice you heard on the other line?"

After she hung up on Gates, she immediately dialed Castle's number. Her heart skidded a little when she realized that she hadn't even had to think about his number to know where to place her hands on the dial keys. He picked up on the second ring, "Ms. Beckett, it's only been a night, do you miss me already?"

Kate smirked at the way he easily flirted with her. She decided to have a little fun and play along… only for a moment. "Yes, Mr. Castle, you caught me. I'm here feeling lonely in my little apartment and am in desperate need for a man to help me out of my clothes. They are just so _hard_ to unbutton all by myself." She replied in a sultry, yet innocent voice. She almost laughed when she realized that she could no longer hear the steady sounds of Rick's breathing on the other line. Slowly, he drew out the word "really?"

"No, a body dropped, Park Avenue and 57th Street. I'll see you in 20?" She asked, hearing a disappointed huff on the other end. "Make that 25, Beckett. I _have _after all been honored with the privilege of getting your coffee and bear claw every day." She was grateful he remembered she needed her coffee.

"Coffee is great, Castle, but I really do not require a bear claw." She replied easily. She was surprised at how non-awkward things were between the two of them. Especially after the kiss they had shared just the night before. After her revelations with Lanie last night, however, their kiss seemed like a decade ago.

"You and I both know that if I didn't get you your bear claw you would starve. You should thank me for keeping you fed." Kate laughed out loud at this. It _was _true that on some days the bear claw that Castle provided her was her only source of food for an entire day. "What would I ever do without you, Castle?"

Rick laughed in response. "I'll see you in 25, Beckett." He said and hung up the phone. Luckily, he had already been dressed when Kate had called him so all he had to do was give Alexis a kiss goodbye and be on his way.

When Castle arrived at the crime scene, Kate was already there inspecting the body. As soon as he saw the look on her face, he knew this was not just an ordinary case. Her jaw line was strained, and her eyes were slightly squinted. Kate Beckett was not one to get too emotional over cases, but anyone could easily see that this one was taking a toll on her. Rick ducked under the police tape and cautiously walked toward the group of detectives. As though Kate had sensed his presence, she looked up at him.

As soon as Kate saw him she left the body and walked as quickly as she could toward him. "Castle, I'm sorry, I had no idea that this was—I don't think you want to see this one." She said as he handed her one of the coffees he was holding and a brown bag that she knew contained her bear claw.

Rick was worried now. "Is it someone I know?" He asked, his heart beating a little faster because he was afraid of her answer. Slowly, Kate shook her head to tell him "no". Rick breathed out a sigh of relief but was overcome with confusion and curiosity. "Then I don't see the problem." He said slowly stepping past her and toward the body that Lanie, Esposito and Ryan were all huddled around.

"Rick—" He heard her say behind him, but as he turned to acknowledge her voice, he caught a glimpse of the body. It was a teenage girl with long red hair and now too-white skin. Rick was overcome with nausea when he realized who this girl looked like. "That's—oh my god, that's not—" he turned to Kate, gasping for air, eyes begging her for an explanation. Kate hurried over to the writer and placed her hand on his arm, her thumb drawing circles on it in an attempt to soothe him.

"Its not Alexis, Castle. She just looks an awful lot like her. Her name is Beth River and she is 17 years old." That information didn't seem to make Rick feel any better. He was still hyperventilating and he looked like he was going to be sick at any moment. Kate had already gotten all the information she needed about the crime scene, so she turned to the boys and said "I'm going to drive Castle home, guys. I'll meet you at the precinct later." She could tell Rick was seriously upset by what he had just witnessed because he didn't even bother to argue the matter.

Kate's apartment happened to be located directly between the crime scene and Castle's loft so when Rick recognized the apartment approaching, he asked her to take him there. She looked at him questioningly but decided to trust him, besides, what was the big deal about taking him to her apartment?

As soon as Kate unlocked her door Castle burst through and ran toward her bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Kate heard him retching as he threw up the contents of his breakfast.

She had a glass of water and a cold, damp towel ready for him as soon as he emerged from the bathroom. "Come and sit, Rick." She said, leading him to her couch where she dabbed his face with the towel as he took sips of his water.

"Thank you. Alexis is at home and I just didn't want her to see me like this." Kate had a strange feeling that there was more to him not wanting to go home then he had let on, but she decided to drop it. Instead, she nodded in understanding and used the hand that wasn't dabbing his face to stroke his arm soothingly. "Rick, I'm so sorry you had to see that. I tried to warn you, I really did." She said, not meaning to sound like she was saying 'I told you so', but in her ears that's how it came out.

"Kate, you don't have to apologize for anything. It was just me being the stupid writer getting in your way and being an inconvenience, as usual." Rick said a bit venomously. Kate moved away from the writer in a shocked haste. Where the hell had that come from?

"What are you talking about?" She asked him, her voice rising an octave higher then usual. She didn't like the way his tone had sounded. It had a certain edge to it that she was completely shocked by. Castle looked up at her with sad eyes. "Alexis and I got into a fight last night." He said, his voice was now toneless.

Kate sympathized for him, but she was still confused at why he had snapped at her like that. Why was he suddenly being so self-deprecating? "What was your fight about?" She asked him cautiously.

"You." He said slowly, clearly not wanting to tell her.

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><p>Ok, so what I am about to do will either be a hit or a miss. Please, please, please review this chapter! I honestly have no thoughts on it and I am kind of worried about the way it turned out because the next chapter is pivotal to my story. Thank you!<p> 


	9. You're going to take my hand

Ok, a little bit of a cliff hanger in the last one; I'm hoping this chapter makes up for it. I've been kind of worried about this chapter for some time now (I wrote it right after chapter 3 and have been saving it for now). I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: You're going to take my hand<strong>

Kate was more then a little shocked. "Your fight was about me? Why would you be fighting about me?" She asked, afraid to hear the answer. She knew that Castle had an extremely close relationship with his daughter. She had only ever heard of them getting into two or three fights in all of the time she had known him. The fact that they had gotten into one over her stung a little.

Castle took a deep breath, clearly attempting to calm himself. "If I tell you this, promise you won't get mad?" He waited for her nod of confirmation to continue. "I got home last night in a little bit of an intoxicated state… and not from the alcohol I had consumed earlier. That kiss we shared was exhilarating. I am not ashamed to admit I quite literally danced into my loft. Alexis was waiting up for me—as she usually does, and took notice to my happiness immediately. She asked me what had lifted my spirits so high when just a few days ago I had been all but moping around the loft because you continued to decline my invitation to the movie premiere."

Castle paused there, gauging Kate's reaction to his open admission of being exhilarated by their kiss. Since she didn't seem to be too fazed by it, he decided to continue.

"When I told her that we had kissed, I wasn't expecting her to get up and jump around like I practically was, but I did expect her to show a _little _enthusiasm. After all, she has been pining for us to get together for a while now. When I asked her what was wrong she started screaming at me. This was a huge surprise since Alexis virtually _never _yells, let alone scream. She told me to wake up, she told me that I had to realize that you were never going to feel for me the way I do for you."

Kate replayed his words in her head over and over again until they finally made sense to her. She couldn't believe Alexis had said something like that. She couldn't believe that Castle was sharing all of this with her. "Castle I—" She was cut off by his voice starting up once more.

"I argued with her at first. I told her that I knew you better then she did and that she didn't know what she was talking about, but who was I kidding… she was right. She said that I only wanted to 'save you' but what I didn't understand was that you wanted to save yourself. Finally, after almost a half an hour of yelling at me, she stopped. I could tell it hurt her to be so stern with me, but she was right… I have just been kidding myself. You are the most independent woman I know, Kate and I know _a lot _of independent women. I think I've finally realized that you don't need a man in your life to protect you… no matter how much I want to be that guy. I still want to be friends, of course, but I'll stop chasing you now because I know that's what you want."

Kate felt like she had been punched in the stomach. Why did he have to come to this revelation _now? _She was finally going to tell him how she felt and right before she could he decided to 'stop chasing her'? She knew she had to tell him how she felt now, or it would be too late. Kate took a deep breath and started to speak.

"Castle, I'm not an open person. After my mom's death the only people I have ever truly trusted were my dad, and Lanie. Then you came along and you saved my life. So already, what you just said isn't true. You saved me Castle, and I don't mean that as a cheesy cliché, I mean that in the most literal sense possible. You saved my life in so many different ways, that even I have lost count. When I first met you, I thought you were an annoying ass. I couldn't stand you. I think part of me was just angry with you for being so arrogant and self absorbed." She paused for a moment when she noticed Rick's angry expression.

"I get it, Kate. I'm an annoyance to you. I'll try my best to stop misbehaving and if I can't do that, I'll just stop shadowing you." He looked utterly defeated as he spoke.

"No! You misunderstood me. There I was, standing in front of the man whose words had been there for me when my dad couldn't. That was the first time you saved me, Rick… before you even _knew _me. For months after my mom's murder I hid myself in Derrick Storm's adventures. I would spend days on end doing nothing but reading and re-reading your books. There was one time that I dragged Madison out to one of your book signings. You don't know this, but that was actually the first time I met you. We waited in line for an hour until we finally made it up to your table where you were sitting. You looked up at me and smiled. We didn't say much to each other, just a "hello". When I got home later I opened my book excitedly to see what you had written."

Kate stopped speaking so she could walk over to her book shelf. She quickly scanned through her books until she found the one she was looking for. She pulled out Castle's 7th Derrick Storm novel and walked back to the couch where he was sitting stunned into silence. She then opened it to the title page, holding it for him to see.

_Your eyes light up when you smile; find more reasons to._

_Your laugh could make a man's heart melt; never stop._

_Richard Castle_

Rick looked up at her, eyes filled with emotion. He remembered signing that particular book. He had seen a woman toward the end of his line of fans. The woman in his memory was faceless now, but he remembered thinking she was stunning. Through the whole book signing he had continued to watch her as she got closer and closer to his table. He remembered looking up at her as she handed her book to him and mentally named her "the girl with the sad eyes."

He hadn't realized he said the last few words of his thoughts out loud until he saw Kate's head shoot up and stare at him questioningly. He hurried to explain himself, "That's what I mentally named you. Your eyes were the most beautiful I'd seen in a long while yet they were so sad… filled with such raw emotion. I can't believe that was you."

Kate couldn't believe he remembered. "That was the second time you saved my life. After that day, I always tried to find a reason to smile, and though I found it difficult at first, over time I found it easier to allow a smile slip onto my face." She smiled warmly at Castle as if to prove her point. "Over the years you have been shadowing me, you have taken to saving my life in a more physical sense. You dove in front of a bullet in an attempt to save me, you held me in a freezing cellar to keep me warm, and you held my hand in front of a bomb then disarmed it right as it was about to explode. What I said at the Captain's funeral—I wasn't making that up, I consider myself so fortunate to have found someone to stand with me." She stopped to take a breath. She couldn't believe she was telling him all of this. She was completely opening herself up to him.

"With every moment we shared, I gave myself to you. Moment by moment, piece by piece, slowly without you even realizing it, I became yours. When you held my hand after nearly being murdered by the triple killer, when you followed me to California to help seek my revenge on Royce's killer, hell, even the time when you read 'I love you' from one of the letters an escaped convict had been writing to his girlfriend. Rick, no one has ever been able to see through me or break down my walls like you have and it scares the hell out of me, but I am ready to take a leap of faith. I don't want you to stop chasing me because I am in love with you and I'm so sorry it has taken me this long to realize that. I have been in love with you since I picked up your first book a week after my mom was murdered. You are my partner, my one and done, my soul mate and I am ready to give us a shot… if you'll have me."

Kate almost squealed when Rick grabbed her and crushed his lips against her own. The kiss was a frenzy, and just as quickly as it had started, it ended. "I'll take that as a yes then?" She asked him laughing as he began to kiss every inch of her face and neck.

"Katherine Beckett, I have never felt a love so strong for anyone in my entire life. You are the most extraordinary person I have ever met."


	10. Whisper the sweetest words

Its taken me a little while to figure out where I want this story to go from here, but I think I have it all figured out now. So, here you go!

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle

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><p><strong>Chapter 10: Whisper the sweetest words<strong>

Kate Beckett woke up in her apartment the next day. After her talk (or love declaration) with Castle, she had headed back to the precinct to work on the case. Castle, on the other hand decided to stay home. They had both agreed that he was in no condition to be anywhere _near _the precinct. The man wasn't able to go 2 minutes without taking her hand, kissing her cheek, playing with her hair, or just touching her in some way (all innocent, of course).

Despite Castle's absence, the boys and her had been able to solve the case. It turned out the boyfriend's sister had gotten a little jealous of the time the vic had been spending with her brother and figured her father's gun would solve the problem. Needless to say, the sister would now be seeing a lot less of her brother then she had hoped… visiting hours in prisons were not ideal.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning. There were no clouds in the sky, the sun was shining, and everything just seemed _brighter._ Kate grimaced at her own thoughts… she sounded like a teenager in love for the first time. But wasn't that essentially what she was? Besides the teenager part, Kate had never been in love like this before… it made her giddy.

Kate succumbed to her inner desires. She sighed at her lack of self-control as she picked up the phone to dial her boyfriend. Somehow the word 'boyfriend' seemed so menial when describing her relationship with Rick. Given the choice, she would much rather use words that actually described their relationship. Partner, soul mate, love of her life… all those seemed like _much _better titles for Rick then just boyfriend. Once again Kate felt disgusted with herself. What happened to no-nonsense, hard edged detective she had once been? She needed to pull herself together and stop acting so damn childish.

Rick answered on the first ring—almost as though he had been waiting by the phone for her to call. "Hey, baby." She heard on the other line right after he picked up. Kate frowned at the phone. "Who are you calling 'baby'?" She asked, clearly not enjoying the pet name he had come up with. She didn't like pet names as a rule, but God_, _he was a writer! Couldn't he come up with something more original then baby?

"I'm calling you baby. What, you don't like it?" He asked, sounding a little hurt. He thought they had made so much progress… what if she changed her mind about them? He didn't think he could go through that. He continued to worry until he heard her laugh on the other end. "Don't get offended, Rick. I'm just not a pet name kind of girl. You can call me Kate, or Beckett when we are at the precinct." Kate smiled at the fact that she could practically hear him pouting through the phone.

"Can we discuss this in person? I want to see you… its been too long. Besides, you don't have a case right now, correct?" It was true that he had missed her last night. Given the chance he would have done anything to have her fall asleep in his arms. It was crazy how little he cared about sex with her. Sure, he wanted it, he knew it would be fantastic with her, but more then anything he just wanted to hold her, to talk to her until they both fell asleep.

"Sure, do you mind coming over here? I'm on call and I might have to leave at any moment. If a body drops it would be easier to just give you a ride, so wear something you wouldn't mind going to a crime scene in." He was about to give a sexual innuendo when Kate interrupted him. "Don't even think about it, Castle. I know exactly what you were going to say." He laughed at how well she knew him.

"Wow detective, this is so cool, we are _so _in sync! I'll be over in 20. I'll bring breakfast since I assume you haven't had any yet." He hung up before she could protest. That man… how did she ever get so lucky? She was walking toward her bookshelf when she made the mistake of checking her reflection in the mirror. Castle would be there in 20 minutes and she looked like this? She bolted to her bathroom to put some makeup on… only a little, she wanted it to seem like she woke up like that, all radiant and bright—better then dull eyes with dark circles underneath.

She spent the last of her 20 minutes trying to figure out what to wear. She obviously had to look casual, like she had just thrown something together, but she wanted to impress him as well. She settled for a white v-neck and jeans, a combination she knew he liked when they were in LA. She was brushing her hair when the writer knocked on her door. She took a few calming breaths before answering his impatient knocks.

He was standing there with 3 roses and a big brown paper bag that she knew contained her breakfast. "For you, my lady." He said, handing her the roses while he stepped into her apartment. She smiled and stood on her toes in order to give him a kiss on the cheek. She really liked the fact that they were able to do this now. She laughed when Rick got straight to business. "So, I'm thinking we should compromise. I get one pet name of my choice and I won't address you with it at work, or in front of any of our friends." He set down her breakfast on her counter so he could grab her hips and bring her toward him. "Common, you know it's a good deal." He said in the best seductive voice he could generate.

She had to mentally kick herself a few times in order to maintain her resolve. "No pet names, Castle. I've never had one before and I don't want one now." Castle looked at her as though she had just spoken German. He spoke slowly when he said, "you've _never _had a pet name?" He refused to accept that in the duration of her entire life she had never been given a pet name.

"One boyfriend used to call me 'Lover Chunks' but I dumped him before he could ever use the name again." She shivered at the memory, a little embarrassed about the story she had just shared. Castle out right laughed at her admission. "Well I wasn't going to be that cruel! Just something normal like Hun, Babe, Baby, Love… you know, normal pet names?" She just shook her head at him. She knew he wasn't going to stop trying but she still didn't want to give in.

"Fine." He said, not wanting to get into a disagreement so soon in their relationship. "But this isn't over." He said with finality. Kate had no idea how she was going to get out of this. Grabbing her breakfast, she led Rick to the couch where they both sat down. She was delighted to find a cherry danish and bear claw resting in the bottom of the bag.

Rick just sat and watched as Kate ate. How could someone manage to look beautiful while chewing on a bear claw? He watched her intently until she unknowingly left a little bit of powdered sugar on her cheek. He was about to tell her about it when he stopped himself. _I'm her boyfriend now; I no longer have to hold myself back! _He thought to his delight. He leaned in and kissed the sugar off her cheek, smiling because he could do it without her threatening to kill him. He truly was the luckiest man on earth.

Kate was enjoying herself. They were sitting in silence, yet somehow it wasn't awkward. She knew he was watching her eat, yet somehow it didn't feel uncomfortable. It felt right, like this was what they were meant to be doing from the start. Just when Kate was about to open her mouth and speak, her phone started to ring. She groaned while seriously considering throwing it at a wall. She knew, however, that Gates would have her head if she didn't answer it.

"Beckett." Rick loved the way she answered her phone, right off the bat she intimidated people. There was no friendliness to her voice, and anyone who didn't know her probably got a little scared whenever she answered. He studied her face as she nodded into the phone. He could tell from the expression she was wearing that a body had been found. Her eyes held sadness and a little disappointment. Rick knew that every time she got a phone call informing her that a new body had been found it briefly brought her back to the night her mother was killed.

Kate hung up the phone, all business now. "Common, Castle. We've got a crime scene to check out." Kate was struck with an idea then. She wasn't too sure how Castle would react, but figured it was worth a shot anyway. "Remember when Lanie and Espo started dating and they tried to keep it a secret for a little while?" Rick's face dropped a little when she said this so she hurried along. She didn't want to give him the wrong impression. "I don't want to hide it from them, I promise. I was just thinking that since they don't know… it couldn't hurt to have a little fun with them while we can!" She laughed when his eyes lit up again.

"Hun, that is a great idea." Kate narrowed her eyes at him. If he thought he was going to hide a pet name with a compliment he was sadly mistaken. "Castle—" he dropped his head, pretending to be upset. "Yeah, yeah, I know. No pet names." She laughed and patted him on the head. "Good boy."


	11. If you're ever sad, I'll make you laugh

I wasn't planning on writing a chapter tonight, but I saw some promotional photos for episode 5x05 that made me kind of sad, so I figured I'd do this rather then homework!

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle.

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><p><strong>Chapter 11: If you're ever sad, I'll make you laugh<strong>

Kate was surprised at how easily the two of them joked on the way to the precinct. He was telling her jokes that were causing tears to form in her eyes from laughter. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she had been this happy.

Rick was in awe of how care free and simply _happy _Kate was acting. In all the years he had ever known her he had never seen her like this. Sure, she had let her guard down for a few minor seconds, but to see her so laid back for an entire 15-minute car ride was something else.

When the two arrived at the precinct, Kate gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Remember, Castle. If this is going to work, we can not give off even the slightest inking that will make them think we are together." She laughed as he nodded like an eager puppy. She hadn't even seen him this exited around crime scenes, and _that _was saying something. Maybe she should have shown him this side of her earlier. He truly had no idea how different she was when she let her guard down and momentarily forgot about all the baggage she was carrying. It was a wonder he had waited for her for so long.

As the elevator carried the couple up, they held each other's hands as if they were never going to have the chance again. As soon as the elevator came to a stop, however, they let go of each other's grip. "I miss you already." Rick whispered quickly before the doors opened. Sure, he was excited to finally get pay back on the guys for their years of taunting and gibing the two of them, but he would be lying if he said he hadn't considered dropping the act just so he could continue to place his claim on the lovely detective.

Kate felt like all eyes were on her as soon as she entered the precinct. She knew she was being ridiculous, and clearly no one cared more about her today than they did yesterday, but she still felt like they could _tell_. She walked over to the murder board that Esposito had already set up. He was leaning against the desk studying it when she approached him. "Trying to be me, Esposito?" She smiled, resting against the desk beside him. He took a few seconds to tear his eyes off of the board, as though something was physically holding him there and he had to struggle to redirect his gaze.

"Every night before I fall asleep I pray that I can be exactly like you one day, Beckett." He said, playfully nudging her in the arm. She laughed a little at his quick-witted statement. She only realized her mistake when he gave her a sideways glance of confusion. "You seem awfully cheery today." He said slowly, as if whatever he said could offend her in some way.

Kate gave her friend a small smile of reassurance (trying her best not to overdo it this time). "Don't worry, Espo. I'm the same as I always am. I'm not getting all—" she feigned a fake shiver, "happy on you or anything like that." He smiled at her, obviously accepting her act. That was a close one. He turned back to the murder board and continued to study it.

Kate studied the board along with Esposito for about 10 minutes until Castle finally made his way over to where they were standing. With 7 little words, he set his plan into motion. "So I've got a date for tonight." Kate tried her best to give a look with the perfect mixture of jealousy and indifference. Esposito looked completely confused. Castle hadn't been on a date in what—7 months? What was with the sudden change of heart?

Esposito was making an obvious attempt to diffuse the heated glares Kate was throwing at Castle. "So… uh, who is she?" He asked, hoping he would keep the answer simple and move on. Apparently, he did not have that in mind. His eyes lit up like he was waiting for him to ask. "She is this totally hot PR director for one of my friends. We met at a birthday party and it was an instant connection. Honestly, if I believed in soul mates, I might just think she is mine." Esposito was completely stunned.

_No! _He thought, wanting to shake the writer until he saw reason. _Beckett is your soul mate! Not some blonde chick you met at a party! _He put his thoughts aside and attempted to end the conversation. He could tell that Beckett would rather be anywhere other then where she was in that moment. "Well, I hope you have fun tonight." Castle smiled and quickly responded, "thanks I will." To make matters worse, he winked at them. Like he was planning on getting lucky and expected them to high five him.

Kate cleared her throat and interrupted the two. "Well, this isn't an appropriate place to be _gossiping. _So if you boys want to talk about Castle's hot date tonight, you can go elsewhere. I'll be over here trying to solve this murder." Kate saw Castle look up at Esposito for guidance through the corner of her eye. _Well played, Rick. _She thought, appreciating the way he made it seem like he wanted to gossip with Espo and leave Kate to stare at the murder board. She felt a swell of pride when she saw Esposito slightly shake his head. Even though this was a joke, it was nice to know her friend had her back.

After about 5 minutes of mindless staring, Esposito decided to duck out and fill in Ryan on what was going on. "I'm going to go get some coffee." He told the couple, not waiting for either of them to nod at him. He knew that while they were studying the murder board there was no interrupting them. He toward Ryan's desk and as he passed he grabbed his partner's arm and dragged him along with him. He continued dragging the confused cop until they were in the safety of the break room.

"Castle is going on a date tonight with a woman he says could be his soul mate!" Esposito whispered fiercely at Ryan, whose mouth dropped open so low it looked like it may fall right off his face. "No way! _Beckett _is his soul mate!" Ryan said with an equal fierceness to his voice. Esposito rolled his eyes and hit his partner in the arm, not caring that the man winced and began rubbing the spot where his hand had made contact.

"Well obviously I know that, but I thought Castle did too! We need to do something about this." Ryan nodded vigorously at his friend's words. It was true that this was bad. Ryan, always being melodramatic, began to picture what it would be like if Castle fell in love with this woman. He knew Beckett would be a wreck and Rick would probably stop shadowing her. He always complained about having Castle around, but the truth was, he actually liked his company within the precinct. Castle made the usually dull atmosphere a whole lot more fun. Ryan couldn't imagine what it would be like without him. "So what do you want to do about this?" He asked Esposito, who was clearly brainstorming plans.

Meanwhile, Castle and Beckett were sitting in their usual seats. Kate was behind her desk in her swivel chair, and Rick was sitting in a stationary seat to the left of her. Castle looked around to make sure no one was within earshot. Finally, once he was satisfied with his analysis, he began to whisper. "Do you think they bought it?" Kate rolled his eyes at his lack of perception. "Of course they bought it! What do you think they are doing in the break room right now? They've been in there for 10 minutes. There is no way they are just getting coffee." Rick hadn't even realized that they had both gone in together.

"What do you think they are talking about?" Rick asked, with complete honesty. Though he would never admit it, Kate's guess was usually better then his. She shrugged her shoulders and contemplated this for a moment. "Probably just gossiping about whether or not they should be happy for you. They will probably decide to side with me rather then you, but before they do they will come up with a plan to get you to rethink your 'date'." She said with finality.

Rick smiled and rubbed his hands together as though he were an evil mastermind. "Well," he said in his best evil voice impression. "I guess its time to implement phase 2."

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><p>If you guys have any ideas as to how they should mess around with Ryan and Esposito, feel free to post them in a review, or message me them. I have a few thoughts, but I am having trouble coming up with creative ones. I hope you guys are enjoying so far!<p> 


	12. I'll chase the hurt

_Authors Note: I am so sorry for the wait, everyone. I have been super busy. I am so delighted with the feedback I am getting for this story, and I am so happy that everyone seems to be enjoying it. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Castle_

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><p>Chapter 12: I'll chase the hurt<p>

Rick walked into the break room where Ryan and Esposito had been talking for almost 15 minutes. Beckett had been worried that they were on to them and sent him in to investigate. In retrospect, this was not such a great idea because as soon as the door behind Castle was closed, he found two not so happy detectives staring him down.

"So, you've found your soul mate, huh?" Esposito began, both detectives beginning to walk slowly toward Castle like hunters stalking their prey. The writer took a gulp and was having a hard time finding his voice. "Well—I… I didn't say she was my soul mate, I just said it felt like she could be." The glares that the two detectives were now giving him were venomous.

Ryan decided to speak up now. "So, what? You decided to just prance in here and flaunt your love life in front of Beckett?" Rick was starting to feel uncomfortable with the close range Ryan and Esposito were starting to gain on him. He began to back up; matching each step they took forward with a backward step of his own.

"Look, guys. Beckett is not interested in me. We are just _friends_ so you have no right to be going all 'Bad cop, Bad cop' on me. All I did was get a date with a woman and tell my friends about it." He knew this was a horrible excuse, but hoped it had just enough of a clueless tone that the detectives would believe he meant no harm to their friend. When he saw their expressions soften a little, he knew he had won this round.

Ryan and Esposito looked at each other. They could not speak the words out loud, but one look was all it took to know that each of them had an understanding of the other's thoughts. Castle had done nothing wrong and they shouldn't be grilling him…yet. So, instead of pressing the issue further, they left the break room (bumping Castle with their shoulders in the process).

_Well that went well. _Castle thought as he made his way over to the coffee machine. It had been the first time he had been alone all day… not counting morning. Since he was not a morning person, he was never fully _there _in the early hours of the day so now that he was awake and his head was clear, he used the time to really reflect on the events of the past few days. _I am dating Katherine Beckett. _He thought, smiling broadly at himself. He had always assumed that they would be together some day but he had never expected that day to come so soon.

Kate was different then most women he had been attracted to. Rick's past relationships had consistently turned out the same. First he would feel a physical attraction to a woman, second he would initiate some sort of relationship, but almost immediately after, Rick would find himself bored with the relationship. Once the chase was over and they eased into that "comfort" stage, Rick had always been the one to end things because he was never truly satisfied. That principle was the complete opposite with Kate. Now that they were together, he only found her more attractive… more beautiful. She was now his to hold, his to kiss, and his to protect. That excited him more then he could ever express. The feelings he felt for Kate were the furthest from boredom that they could possibly be.

Esposito and Ryan left the break room feeling a little flustered, but before Castle had interrupted their scheming, they had come up with the perfect plan to make him see his mistake. The two walked to their desks and while Ryan got back to work on the case, Esposito began to write an email to an old friend of his.

_Hey Jimmy,_

_You remember that favor you owe me? Well, I've decided to call it in. Don't worry, though. This one shouldn't be too hard to pull off._

_Remember that detective who works at my precinct that you always secretly wanted to ask out? (Don't deny it, bro. I know you thought she was hot). Well, turns out she is in need of a guy to take her out and make another guy jealous. I'd ask if you were game, but since you owe me, I already know you will be willing to do it. Come by the precinct later on today and ask her out. __**Make sure you are charming. **_

_Oh, and ps. She doesn't actually know that I am asking you to do this, so keep this little email between us._

_Thanks,_

_Esposito_

Esposito smiled at his email and pressed send. Castle had no idea what was coming for him. He waited for Ryan to look up from his desk so that he could give him a 'thumbs up' and indicate that the plan was in motion.

Kate had been watching her two co-workers conspire ever since they had left the break room and was a little worried about what she had been seeing. Esposito was smiling slightly to himself and Ryan looked way more engrossed in his paperwork then he normally did. When she saw Espo give his partner a thumbs up, she knew something was going on. She wanted desperately to march over to one of their desks and demand they explain what they were up to, but that would completely jeopardize her and Castle's fun. She was positive they weren't onto her, so she decided to let it go and allow them to keep their secret. Whatever it was, she and Castle would probably be able to out smart it anyway.

Kate was just about to see what Castle was doing in the break room for so long—_Jeeze, what is it with the guys and taking forever in the break room today?_ —When she got a page from Lanie reading "URGENT". Kate got up quickly to see what she had found.

Kate got down to the ME as soon as possible, but when she arrived she found Lanie sitting on the examining table filing her nails and watching her expectantly. Kate let out a frustrated breath. "What was so urgent that I had to come rushing down here?"

Lanie laughed at her friend's disheveled state. If nothing else, she'd give the detective credit for always being eager to solve a case. _Even when the love of her life has claimed to find a soul mate that's not her. _That thought brought Lanie back to reality. "Why didn't you come down here as soon as you found out about Castle? Esposito texted me and told me everything, are you ok?"

Kate sighed. Lying to the boys as a joke was one thing, but lying to Lanie about something like this was another. She had no idea how she was going to get out of this one. "I don't want to talk about Castle. Did you find out anything about the case?" She watched her friend shake her head at her and purse her lips. Lanie was not going to let her get out of this one without saying _something._

"Girl, if Castle has in fact found a soul mate that is not you, then its his loss. Trust me, there is no better woman for that man then you, and if he can't see that then shame on him." Kate was surprised at how little Lanie was pressing the subject. She was more aiming for a comforting conversation then a confronting one. _She must really think I'm hurting over this_. Kate thought while studying Lanie's face.

She decided to keep it short. She wanted to do as little lying to Lanie as possible. "Lanie, I should really get back to work. But thank you." With that, Kate turned and left to go back to her desk and the murder board. All practical jokes aside, she really needed to start working on this case. Killers still needed to be caught even when Kate got a new boyfriend.

When the elevator opened, Kate was surprised to find a tall, _handsome_ man standing with Esposito. The two were having an extremely friendly conversation… too friendly to have anything to do with the case they were working on. Kate figured she might as well get the inevitable introductions over with so that she could get back to work.

Kate walked up to the men with a confident stride. She glanced at Esposito who was now smiling more then he had been before. She was about to ask him what was up, but he beat her to it. "Kate, this is my friend Jimmy. We were just talking about the fact that he will be having dinner all alone tonight, so I figured you two should go out."

Both Kate and Jimmy were now gaping at Esposito. Kate was at a complete loss for words, but thankfully Jimmy spoke up and saved her from looking foolish. "Wow, thanks man." Jimmy said sarcastically, now turning toward Kate. "I usually ask woman out myself, I promise. But I guess since Javier brought it up, _do you _want to go to dinner tonight?" Kate was shooting daggers at Esposito with her eyes. She had no idea how she was going to get out of this one.

"I—" Kate started her excuse as to why she was unavailable for the night when her co-worker interrupted her. "Beckett was actually just telling me today that she had no plans for tonight, so I don't see any reason why she would say no, right Becks?" He was smiling innocently at her, and she knew that he had her cornered. There was no way she was going to be able to say no now without completely blowing her cover.

"Pick me up at 6, I guess." Kate said, grimacing at the way her voice sounded. "And Esposito, _never _call be Becks." She turned and walked away from the men and toward her desk. _What just happened? _She thought, genuinely confused. There was no way Ryan and Esposito had figured out about her and Castle. So why would they set her up with another man? The only thing they'd achieve from that is making Castle—of course! They wanted to make Castle jealous! Kate's anger dulled a little at this realization. She knew her boys had her back and cared for her, but she had never thought they would go to this trouble just to get back at Castle for something like this.

Rick, after about an hour of sitting and staring at nothing in the break room, finally worked up the courage to re-enter the precinct. He immediately headed for Beckett when he realized that it was now 1:00pm and time for lunch. He and Kate had been going out for lunch every day for the past few months, so it was nothing out of the ordinary.

As soon as the elevator doors closed and left Kate and Rick alone once again in the small area, Kate grabbed Rick and gave him a quick but passionate kiss on the lips. "What was that for?" He asked. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the sudden outburst, but knowing Kate, there _had _to be a reason for it.

Kate smiled up at him as sweetly as she could. "_That _was to make up for what I'm about to tell you."

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><p>Comments, suggestions, complaints? All feedback is great, guys! Thank you so much.<p> 


	13. My heart is set on you

_Authors Note: The feedback for this story has been incredible, what with all the story alerts, favoring, reviews, and especially the personal messages. Thank you so much, everyone._

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><p><strong>Chapter 13: My heart is set on you<strong>

It had taken a fair amount of convincing, but Kate had finally gotten Rick to allow her on the date with Jimmy. Obviously she didn't _want _to go on a date with another man, but she and Rick both knew that if she were to pass it up, they'd be giving a major hint away to the boys.

The couple left the precinct early so that Kate could get ready for the night. Even though this was a fake date that she was never planning on doing again, she wanted to look nice.

Castle had been acting a little off ever since his new girlfriend had told him that she was going on a date with another man. Sure, it was so they could keep up the act and continue to tease the boys, but he couldn't shrug off the tiny little voice in the back of his head whispering _"She's too good for you… she'll like this other man better then she could ever like you." _He knew he was being ridiculous but where Kate Beckett was concerned, he couldn't help but feel a little insecure.

The next few hours passed in a blur, filled with kisses, giggles, and occasionally some ear pulling. Rick was waiting in Kate's kitchen while she put on the dress she would be wearing that night and touched up her makeup. He could honestly say that Kate was the most beautiful woman he had ever known, but watching her exit her bedroom wearing a brown, loose fitting dress, he was positive he had never wanted a woman more.

Slowly, Rick approached his girlfriend. He chuckled at the way she was playing with her dress and pursing her lips together as though she was worried he wouldn't like it. "Is the color too dull?" She asked, clearly worried about the way he was staring at her. "I think I have another dress in my closet, should I try that instead?" Rick continued walking toward her without saying a word. He placed a hand on her waist and stared deeply into her eyes as he said, "You are the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen."

Rick then took her hand in his and placed a gentle kiss to it, never breaking their intense gaze. Kate was blushing furiously now. All she wanted to do was let him rip off the very dress he was complimenting and allow herself a night of what she knew would be pure bliss.

Too soon, their moment was over and the doorbell was ringing. Already Rick was sending daggers at Jimmy with his mind. Kate looked up in shock as though she had just been woken up from a dream. She hurriedly kissed him on the cheek and told him to hide until she left the apartment. She hated leaving him like this and knew it was all but killing him inside to have to watch her go on a date with another man. If the tables were turned and it was Rick going on the date, Kate was positive she wouldn't have reacted this gracefully.

"If you want you can stay here, Rick. We can spend some time together once I get home. I'll try my best to hurry this along, but should you choose to stay make yourself at home!" She whispered right before she opened the door. She knew she was just loud enough that Rick would hear, yet quiet enough that Jimmy wouldn't.

She opened her door with a fake grin on her face. "Hey, Jimmy!" She greeted him, hoping her cheeks weren't still red from her encounter with Rick just moments before. He looked her up and down before meeting her eyes and said, "Wow, you look amazing. Are you ready to go?" Kate wanted to roll her eyes at how cliché that greeting was… practically right out of a bad movie, but she smiled nonetheless.

"Ya, lets go!" Kate was starting to feel bad for Jimmy. It was clear that her full attention wasn't on him, or whatever he was saying. She was making it pretty evident that she would rather be somewhere else at that moment. She knew she needed to be friendlier. It wasn't this man's fault that Esposito had gotten in her business and attempted to fix things.

So, putting up a front, Kate smiled and laughed at the appropriate times. The entire ride to the restaurant, she acted as the perfect date. Jimmy was actually quite an interesting man. He had a lot of stories about his past that kept Kate entertained and as the date went on, she found that she was actually beginning to enjoy herself. The only problem, however, was she kept finding things in this man that reminded her of Castle. The way he crinkled his nose when he laughed, the blue in his eyes, the way his eyebrows narrowed. Every time she found a similar characteristic between the two men, she was reminded of who she _should _be with that night.

The night went smoothly. Kate (as she had promised Rick earlier) did her best to move things along as fast as possible. The dinner was over in an hour and a half and finally, it was time to go home. Kate was hoping that her boyfriend had decided to stay and wait for her after all. She wanted nothing more then to curl up in his arms and watch a movie.

Jimmy decided to be a gentleman and walk his date up to her apartment. Kate did her best to show that she was not going to invite him in, or even give him a kiss goodnight. Whenever she was presented with the opportunity, she would yawn or feign exhaustion. She hoped, after dozens of comments regarding her tired state, he would get the point.

When they finally reached her door, Kate found she was having a harder time diffusing the situation then she had previously hoped. As if in slow motion, she watched as Jimmy leaned down to give her a good night kiss. It was a good thing Kate had fast reflexes, because he came awfully close to kissing her before she turned her head to the side so he would hit her cheek. "Goodnight." She said, before opening the door and quickly sliding into her apartment.

Kate didn't even have time to run her hands through her hair before she heard a sarcastic voice coming from her bedroom. "Was he everything you dreamed he would be?" She smiled and practically sprinted toward the source. She found Rick lying on top of her sheets reading Heat Wave. Taking in the scene, Kate was suddenly overwhelmed with a happiness that seemed to engulf her. Coming home to a faithful, loyal boyfriend waiting for her almost made her feel dirty for being out on a date… even if that date happened to be fake.

She jumped onto the bed, landing on top of him. "Hey!" He exclaimed. "You made me lose my page!" Kate allowed herself to laugh before she caught his lips into her own. The kiss was passionate and filled with love. Unlike usual, Rick was the one to break it. "Well, I guess this makes up for it." He said before leaning in to kiss her again.

"I love you." She stated simply after their frantic kisses ended. Rick looked up at her in surprise. She had told him she was in love with him the night they got together, but hearing her say it so simply, as though it was the most common fact in the world—well, it made him more happy then words could express.

"I love you too, Kate, and if you agree. I don't think I can stand pretending I don't for one more day." Kate's eyes filled with tears as she nodded her head. She didn't care about their plan; she didn't care about teasing the boys any longer. All she wanted was him.

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><p><em>I'm not sure whether or not I like the way this chapter came out. It was a little short, but I am having trouble finding inspiration for it. I am better at writing stories about two people falling in love, rather then stories about people after they've fallen in love. Anyway, tell me what you think!<em>


	14. I don't want no one else

_I'm so sorry for the long wait. I know this chapter is long overdue, but I just haven't been getting much inspiration. I love writing the angsty, pre-relationship stuff. I've never really been into writing (or reading) about what happens after the couple gets together. So this will be the last chapter of this story. I hope you guys have enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing it. It has been a true pleasure, and your feedback and messages have been wonderful._

_Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Castle._

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><p><strong>Chapter 14: I don't want no one else<strong>

The next day, a very bored Kate sat with her colleagues at her desk in the precinct. There had been no murders that day and they had all finished their paperwork. Captain Gates, who was in an unpleasant mood that day had given them strict orders that they were not to leave the precinct until 6pm. Regardless of their lack of work to be done.

Ryan and Esposito, as a last attempt to make the day go by a little faster, pulled their chairs up to Kate's desk and pretended to help her out on some paperwork. "Castle texted me. He wants all of us to meet him at the Old Haunt at 6:30. You game?" Esposito asked his partner and Beckett. He was slightly worried about the response he would get from her, seeing as he was still under the impression that Castle was dating his "soul mate".

Kate pretended to mull the notion over for a few seconds before telling Espo that she would go. She had missed Rick all day, and if he was going for drinks with the guys she probably wouldn't get a chance to see him until later that evening unless she went with them.

"Are you sure? Because it's totally ok if you don't want to go." Ryan said to Beckett, taking her silence as sadness. Kate laughed at his worried glances.

"Ryan, last time I checked I didn't need your approval on my decisions revolving Castle." She paused in order to allow her words to sink in. "Besides, now that Castle has a girlfriend, he will finally stop directing inappropriate comments toward me." Her answer seemed to satisfy the boy's questioning stares. Esposito was the one to change the subject and Kate was glad that he did.

Finally, 6:00 rolled around. Gates momentarily stepped out of her office to give the three permission to go home. Beckett was a little annoyed by this. She felt as though she was being demeaned—as though Gates thought they couldn't tell time without her instruction.

Despite her annoyance, Kate let the thought slip because _finally _she was going to get to see Rick. She couldn't get out of the precinct sooner. "I wasn't aware we were racing there, Beckett." Esposito joked with her. "Ya, a little eager to get to the bar and see a certain writer tonight, are we?" Ryan continued. Kate just laughed and shook her head at the boys. They would be finding out soon enough how true that statement was.

The ride to the bar was a long one. 6:00 rush hour traffic in New York was a nightmare. Kate thanked her lucky stars that she had chosen today to take a cab rather then drive herself to work. There was something about the little yellow cars that made even the angriest New York driver make way.

By the time she arrived it was 6:45 and she could see through the window that Ryan and Esposito had already taken their place beside Castle. She faintly wondered how the boys had managed to beat her there, but that thought was quickly forgotten as soon as she stepped through the doors and Rick's eyes glanced up and made contact with her own.

It was silly, really, that she still got excited when she saw him. They had known each other for 3 years and she had always gotten a rush when he looked at her then, but there was something about the knowledge that he was _hers_ that made that feeling so much more intense. It was as though her heart caught fire, grew wings, and was trying to fly up toward her throat but couldn't.

"Hey guys! How did you manage to beat me here?" Her previous thoughts came back to her as soon as she saw them. Even though her heart beat was quickening at the sight of the writer, her competitive nature won over and she couldn't help but ask.

"I thought we established that we were racing?" Ryan said using his best mocking voice. "And you know we couldn't pass up the chance to beat Detective Kate Beckett at something." Kate laughed and sat down. It was dumb, but she felt a sense of pride in herself after what he had said. Did they really think she beat them at everything?

"Oh please, Ryan. If you thought you could beat my girl at anything, you are sadly mistaken." Lanie had decided to make an appearance that night, apparently. She high fived Kate and grabbed a chair from a table close by so that she could sit with her co-workers.

Esposito, for the second time that day, was the one to blatantly change the subject. "So, Castle," he started, watching Beckett out of the corner of his eye, "how are things going with you and your _soul mate_?" He emphasized the last two words as though they were the most ridiculous things he had ever dared to utter in his life.

Kate glanced nervously at Rick and was worried with what she saw. A mischievous glint sparked his eye before he began talking. "Actually, I am so glad you brought her up. I wanted to tell you guys before I did it." The group fell silent and stared at him questioningly. No one having any clue what he was talking about. Ryan was the one to finally speak up. "Before you did what?" The entire table (including Kate) was genuinely confused by what he had just said.

Castle dropped his voice a little before he started again. "Well, since I truly believe she is the love of my life, I have decided that I want to take the next step with her. So—" He paused for dramatic effect and watched the entire table lean in to hear what he was about to say. "I'm going to propose." He said making them all jump back wearing matching looks of shock on their faces.

Kate was completely confused now. She had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. This was nothing like they had planned. He was _supposed _to say that he hadn't been dating the woman they thought, but he had been dating someone. Then she was going to lean in and kiss him. She had even made an effort to sit beside him so things could go according to plan. She looked around the table. She had been so consumed by her frantic thoughts, she hadn't realized that no one had dared to respond to Rick's announcement, and most of them were casting frantic glances in her direction.

Lanie was the first to break the silence. "Castle, are you _sure _this is the right woman? I mean, are you sure this woman is—as you say, your soul mate?" She asked, uneasy and worried for Kate's mental health. She knew that if he went through with this engagement it would break her.

Rick nodded adamantly. "I'm positive, guys. She is amazing. I've never felt this way about anyone in my entire life and I don't have a doubt in my mind that she is the perfect woman for me." A million thoughts were racing through Kate's head. It was clear that Rick had something up his sleeve, but she had absolutely no idea what he was getting on.

Esposito was next to speak. "When are you going to do it?" He asked, nervous (like everyone else) for Beckett. She looked worried and upset. He caught eye contact with Lanie who tried to express her thoughts with her eyes. He could tell they were screaming, _what the hell was that? _At him.

"I'm actually thinking of doing it tonight." Rick said, the smile on his face growing wider and wider every time the shocked expressions his friends were wearing deepened. "Tonight?" Ryan squeaked out, praying he had heard wrong.

"Yes tonight." Rick pulled out a tiny black velvet box from his coat pocket and turned to his right where his partner was sitting. Slowly, the writer slid off his seat and onto one knee, waiting a moment before looking up and meeting Kate's eyes.

Kate was completely taken aback. Her mind was thinking so fast she couldn't even tell what her thoughts were screaming at her any more. Why was he on one knee? Why was he looking at her like that? Why were none of her friends saying anything? For some reason, no matter how many thoughts flew through her brain, she couldn't register what was actually going on.

"Kate." Rick started, completely forgetting the speech he had prepared. He decided in that moment that speaking from his heart was better then any speech he could have previously written. Looking up at her right now, he was filled with so much inspiration—he would need a million books to describe her. "I love you more then life itself. What I said before was true. You _are _my soul mate… the love of my life. But apart from that you are so much more. You are my partner, my best friend, and my muse. Everything you do inspires me to no end, and every second I am with you I feel invincible. You always say that I hardly ever listen to the commands you give me and while that may be true, you have more power over me then any woman in my life ever has… and you've seen the way I am with Alexis."

Kate's eyes teared up as realization finally dawned on her. He was proposing to her! She didn't care how many people saw, in that moment, the only people in the world were herself and Rick. "These past few days have been incredible, but having you as my girlfriend isn't enough. I want you to be my wife. I want to be there every day when you come home from work, and be there every morning when you leave. My world is nothing without you, and if you say yes, I will without a doubt be the happiest man in the world." He paused, letting the words sink in entirely before continuing. "So, Katherine Beckett, will you marry me?"

Kate was near hysterics. Tears were pouring out of her eyes but she didn't care. All she could do was nod as fast as she could. It took her a few seconds of hard work and self-control to be able to squeak the word "yes." Before she knew it, Rick's arms were around her. She hugged him with everything she had and only drew back so that she could kiss him. "I love you so much." She whispered against his lips.

A sobbing Lanie interrupted the couple. "Kate Beckett, I am so angry at you for not telling me about this relationship. But I think that all of this cuteness just made up for it!" She was about to run over and hug her newly engaged friend when a thought struck her. "Lets see the ring, Rick!" She practically screamed, not caring about the other customers in the bar (mainly because they were all watching the group anyway).

Rick pulled back a little from Kate so that he could open up the box. As soon as he did, gasps erupted from every single person in the room, including Kate herself. The ring was beautiful. It was topped with a huge diamond and followed by tiny diamonds that trailed down the band. And, as if it couldn't get any better, engraved along the bottom was the word "always". It was elegant, and perfect for her. Kate was overwhelmed with more joy then she had ever experienced as Rick slid it onto her finger.

He kissed her again and whispered, "we'll celebrate later" in her ear. To that, Kate laughed as she responded, "you have no idea."

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><p><em>Ok, so that's it! I hope you guys enjoyed the story. I became extremely carried away with that engagement scene… it just flowed out of me. I know it seems a little weird for Rick to propose so soon in their relationship, but the way I see it in my mind is that he was shopping one day and saw an engagement ring and had to buy it. I honestly thing the word "girlfriend" is such a menial term when describing their relationship, so I figured I'd just change it into "fiancé" and inevitably, "wife". ! Anyway, thank you all for reading my story, and I'd love to know what you thought about it<em>

_Oh! And just incase you were curious, this is the engagement ring I imagined when writing the scene: https:/ www. diamondonnet .com /productImages/finished/zoom/RN4004D_14KWG_ (i put a few spaces in there so that i could post the link, so take those out)_


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